<^7 



The Principles and 
Practice of Whist 



,./ 



By LENNARD LEIGH and 
ERNEST BERGHOLT 



With Examples, Illustrative 
Deals, Critical Endings, Math- 
ematical Calculations, etc., etc. 



Including AN ESSAY 
ON PROBABILITIES 

By WILLIAM H. WHITFELD, M.A., Cantab. 



1902 

Henry T. Coates & Company- 
Philadelphia 



TWF < '8RA«Y OF 

Ct NGRESS, 
Two C-'icfl .':£CEivE# 

mn if '1902 

CrirvKWJMT ENTKr 
C^mSS 0^ XXc No. 



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.r4>£> 



Copyright, 1902, by 

HEXRY T. COATES AXD COMPANY. 

AH rights reserved. 

ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON. 



DEDICAXED 

TO THE MEMORY OF 

WILLIAM POLE, F.R.S., Mus. Doc, Oxon., 

AND 

HENRY JONES, M.R.C.S. ("Cavendish") 

Whose services to the game — the first in the elucidation of its 

principles ; the second in the application of them — will 

be remembered as long as Whist is played. 



Contents. 



CONTENTS/^ 



Preface. 



PAGES 



The literature of Whist — Various methods of treatment 
— The scheme of the present work — Obituary re- 
marks regarding Pole, "Cavendish" and Drayson — 
The opinion of the last-named as to this book — 
Acknowledgment of the services of Colonel Lows- 
ley and Mr. Whitfeld — Personal note by Mr. Leigh. ix — xiii 

Introduction. 

Sound play (3-4) — Advice to beginners (4-8) — Classifi- 
cation of suits and cards (8-9) 3 — 9 

The Game of ^Vhist. 

A brief history of the game (13-23) — Deal illustrative 
of the play in Mathews' day (15-17) — Origin of the 
trump signal (19) — Growth of the ''signalling game" 
(20) — Deal illustrative of ultra-conventional meth- 
ods (21-23) 13—23 

General Principles. 

The principles governing Cooperation (27-29) — Estab- 
lishment (29-36) — Deal illustrating Establishment 
(33-36)— Trump Play (36-40)— Leads (40-43)— Sec- 
ond-hand Play (43-45) — Strengthening Play (45-46) 
Change of Suits (46-47) — Leading through 
Strength (47) — Finesse (48-50) — Discard (50-52) — 
Forcing and RufTing. with deals (52-59) 27 — 59 



*A detailed index with cross references will be found at the end of 
the book. 

( vii ) 



viii Contents. 

The Original Lead. 



PAGES 



Tentative and Aggressive Leads distinguished (63-65) — 
Plain Suit Lead from Extraordinary Strength 
(65-68) — Plain Suit Lead from Average Strength 
(68-70) — Plain Suit Lead from Weakness (70-73) — 
Singleton Lead, with illustrative deal (73-80) — 
Trump Lead from Extraordinary Strength (80-83) — 
Trump Lead from Average Strength (84-86) — Split 
Hands, with deal (86-89) — Trump Lead from Weak- 
ness (90) 63 — 90 

Tlie Card to Lead. 

Ace leads (93-95) — King leads (95-96) — Queen leads 
(96)— Jack leads (97) — 10 leads (97) — 9 leads (97) — 
Low lead (98) — Leads to the Turned Trump (98) — 
Table of Leads (99) — Unblocking to the lead of Ace, 
with deals (100-104) — to the lead of King (104-105) 
— to the lead of Jack (105) — to the lead of Queen 
(105-107) — to the lead of 10 or 9. with deal (107-109). 93 — 109 

After Leads. 

Changing Suits, with deal (113-118) — Discontinuing a 
Weak Suit (118) — Returning Partner's Suit (118- 
119) — Returning an Adversary's Suit (i 19-120) — 
Leading to Partner's Intact Strength, with deal 
(120-123) — Non-original Trump Lead (123-124).... 113 — 124 

Inferences. 

Deal illustrative of process of drawing Inferences (130- 

133) 127—133 

Re-entry Cards. 

Second-hand saving Reentry to Partner (138) — Guard- 
ing Reentries (139) 137—139 

Play of Seeond-hand in Plain Snits. 

Playing High (144) — Covering an Honor (145-146) — 
Playing High on Low Lead (146-147) — Fourchettes 
(147-148) — Singly-guarded Honors (148-150) — 
Adapting play to the Opposing System (150) — Call- 
ing for trumps (151) — Special Covers (152-153).... 143 — 153 



Contents. ix 

Finesse. 

PAGES 

Finesse by the Leader (157-158) — Second-hand (158) — 
Finesse by Trial (158-159) — Third-hand, with deal 
(159-163) — Deal illustrative of Playing for Position 
(164-166) — Finesse Obligatory (166-167) — Holding 
Up, with deal (167-171) 157 — 171 

Discarding. 

General review of the Discard (175-177) — The Discard, 
when the Balance of Trump Strength is with the Part- 
ner, with deals (177-184) — When the Preponderance 
of Trump Strength is with the Opponents, with deal 
(184-187) — When the Issue is Doubtful, with deals 
(187-192) — Deceptive Discards, with deal (192-195) — 
Not Discarding Losing Cards, with deals (195-200) — 
Discard to proclaim Control, with deal (200-204) — 
Reverse Discard, with deal (204-207) — Deal illustrat- 
ing an Intelligent Discard (210-212) 175 — 212 

Trump Flay. 

Trump Extraction, with deals (215-231) — Trump Signal, 
with deals (231-242) — Trump Echo, with deal (242- 
250) — Second-hand Play, with deal (251-254) — Third- 
hand Play (254-256) — Deal illustrating Change of 
Tactics from Trump Extraction to Ruffing (257-259) 
— False Carding (261-262) — The Ruffing Game (262- 
263) — Forcing Partner (263-268) — Forcing an Ad- 
versary (268-269) — Taking a Force (269-272) — Over- 
trumping, with deal (272-275) 215 — 275 

American Leads. 

The System described (279-282) — Table of American 
Leads (283) — Trump Leads (284) — Unblocking 
(284-285) — Deals illustrating use of American Leads 
(286-303) 279—303 

Inferences from American Leads. 

Twenty problematical Exercises in the Inferences to be 
drawn from the American Leads and the Solutions 
(307-318) 307—318 



X Contents. 

The Combination Game. 

PAGES 

Introductory (321-323) — Functions of Suits (s^SS^?) — 
Opening Lead (328-339)— Plain Suit Leads (339- 
340) — Trump Leads (340) — Following with Short 
Suits (340-341)— Second-hand (341-342) — Third- 
hand (342-346) — Unblocking (346-350) — Third- 
hand's Continuation (350-351) — Deals illustrating 
Combination Tactics (351-369) 321 — 369 

Probabilities. 

An Essay on the Doctrine of Probabilities and the 

Mathematics of the Game (373-3/8) 373—37^ 

Tables of Probabilities. 

Table No. i, showing the frequency of various distri- 
butions of a suit (383) — Table No. 2, concerning the 
chances of a suit going round (385) — Table No. 3, 
showing the number of times that any player will 
hold a certain number of a suit (386) — Table No. 4, 
showing the probable distribution of a suit (388) — An 
example of the Practical Application of the Tables 
(388-390) 381—390 

Critical Endings. 

An illustration of the practical utility of Double-Dummy 
Problems (393-398) — Classification of the Tactics of 
Whist (398-402) — Seventy-five Critical Endings, em- 
bracing the entire Tactics of Whist (403-440) — and 
the Solutions (440-458) 393 — 458 

Whist Terms. 

An alphabetical list of the Terms in general use in Whist 

and their Definitions, with cross references 461 — 480 

Laws of Whist. 

Laws of Whist — Laws of Duplicate Whist and Etiquette 

of the Game 481 — 497 



PREFACE. 

Hundreds of volumes have been devoted to Whist in 
the past century, and it might be supposed that the subject 
had been exhausted. Far from that being the case, how- 
ever, it is doubtful if the ultimate dictum will ever be pro- 
nounced or, such is the nature of the game, if any theory 
or system of practice could ever meet with universal ac- 
ceptance. 

The field has been traversed time and again — too fre- 
quently by already well-trodden paths — and no portion of 
it remains unexplored. For all that — and notwithstanding 
the essential principles of Whist were long since laid 
bare — there may be scope and perhaps even necessity for 
a new treatment of the subject. 

Since Doctor Pole's first pubHcation (1864) there has 
not been a book well-adapted to the ignorance of a novice. 
Even "Cavendish," who is always lucid, appears to take it 
for granted that his reader is familiar with the fundamental 
principles of the game. Of the later writers, the majority 
seem to have aimed at the production of compendiums of 
rules with little regard to rationale. The books published 
during the past ten years have, with hardly an exception, 
treated of Whist exclusively from the standpoint of the 
American Leads and their conventional accessories. The 
student is confronted by a catalogue of bald directions, 
without rhyme or reason for their observance, and the im- 

(xij 



xii Preface. 

pression is conveyed that a particular system is the em- 
bodiment of the game, rather than a mere incident of it. 
He takes his first view of the field through the wrong end 
of the telescope and necessarily starts with a false and 
contracted idea of the ground he is to cover. 

It is believed that beginners feel the need of instruc- 
tion which is based upon logical reasoning and that many 
who have been playing Whist for years by rote would 
derive much benefit from a better knowledge of its phil- 
osophy. 

In this volume an attempt is made to create a rational 
understanding of the game by means of a preliminary ex- 
position of the principles governing each of the phases of 
strategy, followed by a detailed presentation of the tactics. 

The earHest writers, Hoyle and Mathews, appreciated 
the value of examples — "particular cases/' as they termed 
them — but most latter-day authors have been singularly 
neglectful of this most effective medium for imparting in- 
formation. 

In the present volume the text is copiously illustrated 
with examples and deals. In the latter the characters are 
arranged around a square box to correspond with the posi- 
tions at a Whist table, the top of the page being assumed 
to be North. The card led is represented by a solid char- 
acter, and that which wins the trick is underlined. This 
plan of notation should have a familiar aspect to those ac- 
customed to reading newspaper diagrams, or to playing 
with cards which bear corner indicators. It will probably 
be read with at least equal facility to the older card-char- 
acter form. 

Whatever may be said for the practical advantages of 



Preface. xiii 

the American Leads and the ''signalHng game," it cannot 
be disputed that the older leads and the purely logical 
"conventions" are best adapted to the acquisition of a 
sound game. Whilst the latter methods have been adhered 
to for the most part, a sufhcient space is devoted to the 
ultra-informative system. In general, the scheme of the 
work contemplates a thorough grounding in the principles 
and such practices as are legitimately allied to them. 

A complete concurrence of ideas was not to be ex- 
pected, and the authors, whilst finding their minds in agree- 
ment on all essential points, experienced a difference of 
opinion in some particulars. At the time of going to press, 
however, the only important variance which exists relates 
to the follow in four-card suits containing tierce to king. 

The names of Pole, "Cavendish" and Drayson are as 
familiar to American Whist players as to those of England, 
and their deaths are as keenly regretted on one side of the 
Atlantic as upon the other. 

Henry Jones, better known as "Cavendish," died 
February 15, 1899. For many years he was the controlling 
genius of Whist, and his influence upon the game will be 
felt for many years to come. 

Since the inception of this work — in which he dis- 
played a kindly interest — William Pole has passed away. 
He died December 30, 1900, in his eighty-sixth year. Doc- 
tor Pole belonged to a past generation of players; but in 
his old age evinced an interest in the latter-day develop- 
ments of the game. Writing to one of the authors in 1898, 
he said: "There can be no doubt that in your country it 
(Whist) is assuming forms widely differing from those of 



xiv Preface. 

the Olden Time. This fact must lead to a special American 
Whist Literature." 

The death of General A. W. Drayson, In September 
of the present year, Is fresh in the memory of Whist play- 
ers, many of whom have derived profit and pleasure from 
a perusal of "The Art of Practical Whist." He v^as widely 
loved for his kindly disposition, the following instance of 
which the authors take pleasure and pride in recording: 

A synopsis of the present book was submitted, by 
favor of Colonel B. Lowsley, to General Drayson. He 
was then very ill, but read it carefully and expressed his 
complete concurrence wdth the plan and the belief that 
the work would be of "great benefit to Whist players and 
to the game of Whist." At the same time he promised "if 
he could get well enough to write It," to send a paper con- 
taining his views, In a detailed form, for insertion In the 
book. 

The authors are indebted to Mr. William H. Whitfeld 
for an interesting article on "Probabilities" and for his ser- 
vice in checking the Tables of Probabilities, thus stamping 
them with the hall-mark of unquestionable authority. 

In connection with the Critical Endings, the authors 
desire to record their appreciation of the valuable sugges- 
tions received from Colonel B. Lowsley, the well-known 
author of "Whist of the Future." Colonel Lowsley has 
not only given the warmest encouragement to this portion 
of the work, but has also been kind enough to render ma- 
terial personal assistance in the task of final revision. 



Preface. xv 

NOTE BY MR. LENNARD LEIGH. 

I believe that when one is asked to buy a book, he 
has as much right to know something of the process of its 
production as when he purchases a sausage or a feather 
bed. Two years ago Mr. Bergholt and I started upon this 
excursion into the field of Whist literature. From the out- 
set he has occupied the position of wheel-horse in the tan- 
dem, and upon that fact our readers are to be congratu- 
lated. IMore than once I have "broken" and might have 
kicked over the traces or bolted across lots but for his 
steady restraining influence. Whatever merit may be 
claimed for our work on the score of freedom from errors 
of detail is for the most part due to the careful — I had 
almost said painful — revision of ^Ir. Bergholt. The labor 
involved in the calculations and critical endings was 
sustained chiefly by him, and I must confess that such 
portions of the book as are mainly my production owe 
much to his oversight. 

Being in touch with the printer as these pages go to 
press, and separated by the ocean from my colaborer, I 
am enabled to insert this note without incurring his oppo- 
sition. 

L. L. 

Christmas, 1901. 



Introduction. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The almost limitless scope for the exercise of mental 
faculties, which is afforded by Whist, has made it the prin- 
cipal pastime of the most intellectual members of every 
community of Anglo-Saxon people. As a mere amuse- 
ment its popularity is due to its endless variety, to the 
happy admixture of skill and chance, and to the simplicity 
of its rudiments. Whilst playing Whist correctly and with 
a proper degree of concentrative application will strengthen 
and expand the mind and character, the careless and faulty 
practice of it will have the reverse effect. For this reason, 
and because the higher the standard of skill attained to, 
the greater the enjoyment experienced, the student should 
approach the study with a serious determination to acquire 
a thorough knowledge of its principles, which will insure 
the playing of a sound game. 

The sound player is one who can be depended upon 
not to violate any principle. He may not gain any tricks 
by coups, but on the other hand he will not lose any that 
should ordinarily fall to him. In the long run such play as 
his will beat any other that may be opposed to it, for the 
majority of gains at the Whist table are due to the mis- 
takes of opponents. The player who plays his hand "for 
all there is in it" — no more nor less — will surely pick up 
some tricks from the failure of his adversaries to do the 

same. 

(3) 



4 Introduction. 

It goes without saying that the sound player is the 
best conceivable partner. The quality of soundness is 
more durable and reliable than brilliancy, and he who 
possesses it is respected and sought after in the highest 
Whist circles. 

Sound play is impossible without a thorough knowl- 
edge of the principles upon which the game is based. One 
may know all the rules without being able to play any- 
thing better than a weak, mechanical game, for the most 
important element of good \A"hist is the ability to make 
judicious departures from rule. To a player well grounded 
in the principles all the essential rules would come in 
natural course by the process of deduction and he could 
not fail to play sound Whist. Such a state of proficiency 
is not difficult of attainment by any man or woman of 
average intellect, nevertheless but few, comparatively, can 
boast of it. This is due to the fact that, for the most part, 
students commence by learning a complicated set of leads 
and rules for play, and continue their education by burden- 
ing their memories with conventional details of an arbi- 
trary character. If they gain any acquaintance with the 
principles, it is by the uncertain, slow and irregular process 
of induction, which cannot be carried to any appreciable 
extent except by players of exceptional aptitude. 

It is the chief design of the authors of this work to 
inculcate such a knowledge of the principles as will enable 
the student to apply an intelligent judgment to any situa- 
tion that may confront him in the course of play. It is 
believed that this can best be done by a copious explana- 
tion of the raiscni cVctrc of every rule and the raison dc fairc 
of each play, supplemented by illustrated deals, endings 



Introduction. 5 

and hands. The system of Old Leads has been employed 
for the purpose, because they lend themselves best to an 
exposition of the principles of Whist, and because, by 
reason of their greater simplicity, they are more readily 
learned and more easily practiced by the beginner than the 
later system of American Leads. The comparative values 
of the systems to advanced players is a much debated ques- 
tion, which it is unnecessary to discuss. It is an indispu- 
table fact, however, that the latter has proved a stumbling 
block to many a beginner and an insurmountable barrier 
to not a few. The American Leads are comprehensively 
treated and illustrated in the second section of the book, 
and the student who follows us so far will be in a position 
to exercise an intelligent choice with regard to this matter 
in his future play. 



ADVICE TO BEGINNERS. 

Theory and practice should be judiciously combined. 
Attainment to a respectable degree of ability is impossible 
through the medium of either alone. 

Lay out the cards in correspondence with every posi- 
tion mentioned in the text. In studying the illustrative 
deals, play out the hands, with the book before you, and 
again without it. If it is convenient to secure the coopera- 
tion of others, so much the better. The study of similar 
printed deals in the periodical Whist columns is recom- 
mended at a later stage when the student is able to exer- 
cise a critical judgment. 

It is strongly urged upon the beginner to restrict him- 
self in theory and practice to the lines laid down in this 
volume until he has thoroughly mastered the first part of 



6 Introduction. 

it ; otherwise his mind is apt to become confused by the 
divergency of opinion he will encounter. This is almost 
sure to produce a desire to experiment and consequent 
erratic play. To quote ]\Ir. L. I\l. Bouve, than whom there 
is no sounder player or writer : ''To beginners, or players 
of limited experience, the numerous new plays and systems 
which have been developed during the past year or two are 
undoubtedly confusing and tend to discourage students of 
Whist in their efforts to learn the game. It is not good 
policy for any but the most expert players to make use of 
the various new plays exploited, as even the originators 
of many of these inventions admit that, to a large extent, 
they are experimental." 

There is no royal road to good Whist. It can be 
learned only by patient, conscientious study. The beginner 
should leave no point behind him until he has a complete 
understanding of it in all its bearings. The process may 
seem slow, but it is the shortest and surest in the eventual 
count. It is true that in a few weeks you may memorize 
a sufficient number of rules to enable you to play a 
"wooden" game, but the very method would be a bar to 
further progress. AMiereas, a proper groundwork in its 
philosophy, will open up to you all the intellectual delights 
of a game which affords limitless scope for improvement. 
The ultima TJiitle of the true Whist lover, like the ideal of 
the artist, is never reached. 

The game can most eft'ectively be studied by two or 
more persons together and we would advise the formation 
of a quartette for the purpose, if possible. \Mien this is 
feasible, it is a good plan to re-play the deals, laying the 
cards face upward upon the table. Free discussion should 



Introduction. 7 

be encouraged and the book referred to for decisions of 
questionable points. By this method the most prevalent 
errors of each player will be disclosed and their remedies 
indicated. 

Looking over the hand of a good player is even more 
beneficial than personal practice in the early stages of 
study. Select one who is willing to explain what you do 
not understand. 

Be careful where you seek advice. With Whist play- 
ers, as with physicians, there are a great many who enter- 
tain pet theories which they are always glad of an oppor- 
tunity to ventilate. 

It will be to your advantage to play with partners of 
superior ability, but do not pair with very much better 
players. The result is likely to be discouraging and less 
profitable than playing against them. 

Make a rule of playing your very best whenever you 
sit in at a table. Concentration should be made a habit. 
Every hand carelessly played will tend to retrogression. 
If you find it impossible to fix your mind upon the game 
surrender your seat and look on. 

Most players have particular failings. Discover your 
weak points and keep a close guard upon yourself in situa- 
tions involving them. 

Take your time in playing. Never draw a card from 
your hand until you have conceived a good reason for 
playing it and can think of no better for playing another. 

Keep your eyes upon the board and look at your hand 
only when it is necessary to draw a card from it. Close 
attention to the fall of the cards is an absolute necessity 
to correct play. 



8 Introduction. 

Avoid all mannerisms. They are never indicative of 
ability and seldom accompany it. 

It will be some time before you acquire sufficient 
knowledge to appreciate good Whist. In the meanwhile 
it may be well to entertain a humble estimate of the quality 
of your game. Nothing is more amusing to the adept 
than an assumption of superiority on the part of com- 
placent mediocrity. 

Do not allow yourself to be discouraged. Every ex- 
cellent player has been obliged to tramp over the road you 
are traveling. 

CLASSIFICATION OF SUITS AND CARDS. 

It has been the universal practice of writers upon 
Whist to make two broad divisions of suits : Long or 
Strong, being those containing more than the average 
number of cards — that is to say four or over ; and Short or 
Weak, being suits of less than four cards. The indiscrimi- 
nate use of these terms has been the source of much con- 
fusion to beginners. 

We shall depart from the general practice of treating 
the alternative terms as synonyms and make a distinction 
in the meaning of each ; not with any idea of reforming the 
general usage — a consummation much to be desired, how- 
ever — but merely as an aid to better comprehension by the 
student. 

By a Long Suit, then, will be understood one consist- 
ing of four or more cards^ not including more than one 
honor. 

Strong Suit will be applied to any suit containing two 
or more honors and four or more cards. 



Introduction. 9 

The term Weak Suit will refer to one of three cards. 

Suits of two cards will be designated as Short Suits, 
and single cards as Singletons. 

Notice that the words long and short, weak and 
strong, as used in this connection are not antonyms. The 
anomaly in the application of them will be accounted for 
as we progress. 

To style a suit consisting of king, queen and jack, 
"weak," is an apparent paradox, but may be justified upon 
the ground that notwithstanding its trick-making capabil- 
ity, such a suit, or any one of not more than three cards, is 
impossible of establishment, for there must be at least four 
cards of the suit in one of the hands. Occasionally one of 
these terms may have to be used in a general sense, but 
when it is desired to convey a particular significance they 
will be employed in accordance with the restricted mean- 
ings here set forth. 

Whist authorities differ in the matter of classification 
of the cards. Some divide the suit into six high and seven 
low cards ; others into five high and eight low ; others 
again into six high, six low and an intermediate. 

In this volume the most simple, and we believe the 
most logical classification, will prevail — that of styling ace 
to 9 inclusive, high cards and the remainder low. 



Note.— Spades are assumed to be trumps in all the examples given 
in this book. In the deals, the lead is indicated by a solid suit char- 
acter; the card underscored wins the trick. 



TKe Game of WKist. 



THE GAME OF WHIST. 



Scientific Whist had its inception with the Httle coterie 
which used to meet at the Crown Coffee House, under the 
leadership of Lord Folkestone, in the year 1736. Their 
progress was by no means insignificant. It embraced 
what Pole has styled the fundamental principle of the game 
— the cooperation of the partners — and the lead from the 
strongest suit. 

It is probable that Edmond Hoyle was a member of 
this circle of pioneers, to whom is due the credit and honor 
of having raised Whist from a servant's pastime to an in- 
tellectual game. 

Hoyle's book, published in 1742, gave a strong im- 
petus to Whist, which was supplemented by his teaching 
amongst the upper classes of London society. He fully 
recognized the value of position in the matter of trick 
taking; the advantage of extracting adverse trumps and 
bringing in of long suits as against the hitherto predomi- 
nant practice of ruffing; and the leads from certain high 
card combinations, which are employed at this day. In- 
deed, Hoyle acquired a broad and comprehensive grasp of 
the principles of the game, his knowledge being probably 
greatly in excess of his ability to impart it, owing to a lack 
of systematization. 

(13) 



14 The Game of Whist. 

This defect in the valuable work of Edmond Hoyle 
was remedied by the ''Maxims of William Payne" (1773),* 
which consisted for the most part of a methodical arrange- 
ment of Hoyle's rules and the addition of explanations and 
reasons. 

The early years of the nineteenth century gave evi- 
dence of a great advance in the theory and practice of 
Whist. In 1804 Thomas Mathews issued his "Advice to 
the Young Whist Player." The author's endeavor was 
chiefly to afford a sound groundwork for the game of the 
beginner. Mathews's dicta are extremely valuable, and 
almost as much so now as when they were pronounced, but 
their utility is unfortunately diminished by the absence of 
headings, index or classification. 

The work done by the three writers mentioned, forms 
the basis of scientific Whist. The game as evolved by 
them has been termed the Hoyle game, and without sub- 
stantial change it remained in vogue until the middle of 
the century. That it gave scope for the exercise of a con- 
siderable degree of skill, judging by our present standards, 
may be inferred from the following deal, which involves 
no practices which were unknown to Mathews and the 
best players of his day. The ending is card for card identi- 
cal with one recorded by Mathews in 1806, and the posi- 
tion could have been arrived at only by a course of play 
similar to that followed in our diagram. 



*Careful research appears to establish these facts. The date (1770) 
usually assigned to the so-called "Payne's Maxims" is erroneous. None 
of the editions bears the name Payne as author. The first (1773) 
and the second (1778) were published by T. Payne & Son, London. 
A third edition was published in 17>s;3. which, like the others, failed 
to mention the author. The explanation of AVilliam Payne's reputed 
authorship is, however, to be found in the following ■'ircumstance: 
In 1779 Charles Jones' published an edition of Hoyle (pirated) in which 
he incorporated the Maxims, saying: "The following Maxims for Whist, 
by Mr. William Payne, are now added by permission of the proprietor." 



The Game of Whist 



15 



English Long Whist. Score nine all. North turns 
Spade 6; East to lead. 



NORTH. 



THe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 Q, 10, 6. 9, 8, 7, 4. A, K, 3. J, 5, 2. 

V 5, 2. 10, 9. A, J, 8, 7, 3. K, Q, 6, 4. 

*Q, 10,9,8,3,2. 7, 6. A, J, 5. K, 4. 

4 Q, 8. A, K, 10, 6, 5. J, 4. 9, 7, 3, 2. 



THe Play. 

80 



20 



A> 



40 



Tricfc 1. — ''When you lead, begin with the best suit in your 
hand." (Hoyle.) The lead of ace has a curiously modern appear- 
ance, but a century ago the custom of leading king from ace, 
king, etc., had not been introduced. "With ace, king . . . 
four (others) or less 'in plain suits,' always lead the ace."* 



QO 



30 



K^ 



JO 





2,<:0 


4^ 


3 




A<i? 



10 V 



Trick 3. — "Always force the strong, seldom the weak, never the 
two; otherwise you play your adversaries' game, and give one an 
opportunity to make his small trumps, whilst the other throws 
away his losing cards." 

East seeing that neither North nor South has any more Dia- 
monds, discontinues the suit and opens the Hearts, because he can 
give better support therein than in the Clubs. "When a player 
changes his original suit, he commonly leads his strongest card 



•Except where otheiwise iudicated the quotations are from Mathews. 



i6 



The Game of Whist. 



of another, to give his partner the advantage of a finesse." South, 
perceiving that the lead is from weakness, puts up the Ace to pre- 
vent the finesse, and returns the suit through West's strength. 
"Good players will never lead a 9 or a 10. but for one of three 
reasons. ... 3d. When the best of a weak suit, not exceeding 
three in number. If you have either king or knave in your own 
hand, you are certain it is for the latter reason, and play your 
game accordingly." 

This trick illustrates the supporting card lead and the second 
hand cover, which are important features of the tactics of the 
modern Short Suit Svstem. 



Q^ 



5^ 2cg, 



3¥ 



7^ 



50 6V 



3<5) 



8^ 



Trick 5. — North knows that East has no more Hearts, since he 
dropped the 9 to the preceding trick. He can see that South rAust 
hold the Heart Jack and will command the next round, so that 
East is bound to be forced unless there be another change of suits, 
He, therefore, refuses to subject himself to being overtrumped. 



6^ 



8cg) 



2* 



9* 



4* 



e6h 



^^ 



AJt» 



Trick 7. — East cannot lead his worthless Clubs up to North's 
strength and thinks that the sequence of three trumps may be of 
use to West. 

Trick 8. — "To lead from only three cards, unless in sequence, is 
bad play, and only proper when you have reason to think that it 
is your partner's suit, in which case you play off the highest." 



9<5b 



Q* 



K<§> 



V* 



?♦ 



10 



60 



J* 



A^i 



The Game of Whist. 



17 



Trick 10. — West properly refrains from returning the trump. 
"It is generally right to return your partner's lead in trumps unless 
he leads an equivocal card, such as a 9 or 10." After North has 
played the Club Queen, South can read him with either three 
trumps, or two trumps and Club 10. "If your partner, to your win- 
ning card (North knows that South can rufif the Diamond) throws 
away the best card of any suit, it shows he wishes you to know 
he commands it; if the second best, it is to tell you he has no 
more of that suit." South's play to this trick is the point of the 
deal. "This critical stroke," says Mathews (Para. 102), "decided 
one of the most material rubbers that ever was played, and is 
recommended to the attentive perusal even of proficients." The 
writer then details an end position after the ninth trick, which is 
precisely the same as our own. 





^ Q, 10. 
* Q, 10. 




4iJ, 5. 

9,7. 


N 

W E 

S 


4^8,7. 
010,6 




*A,3. 
*5. 





West leads a Diamond; North discards a Club; East follows 
suit. North and South need all the remaining tricks for game. 
Mathews continues: "Query — How is South to play to make it 
possible to win the odd trick? Answer — South saw it was not pos- 
sible unless his partner had either the two best trumps, or the 
first and third with a successful finesse. He, therefore, trumped 
with the Ace, led the small one and won the game. 

N. B. — In another score of the game this would not be justifi- 
able, as the chance of losing a trick is greater than of gaining 
one by it," 

The above deal is a fair sample of the quality of the 
Whist played at Bath one hundred years ago. 

Note.— By a curious misapprehension this deal has been styled the 
"Pitt Coup." The origin of the misnomer was traced in detail by one of 
the authors and exposed in Whist for January, 1808. Since the article was 
signed, credit should have been given by the "Whist Reference Book," 
which produced it (s. v. Pitt Coup); and in setting out the position, the 
suits and denominations specified by Mathews should have been adhered 
to in that work, as is done above. 



1 8 The Game of Whist. 

During the decade following the year i860, the col- 
lective Whist wisdom of the previous century and a quarter 
was presented^^to the world in systematic and logical form. 
This most valuable work was accomplished by three sep- 
arate writers, each contributing a distinct and peculiar 
share to the result. ''Cavendish" was responsible for the 
analysis and illustration of well-known tactics ; Clay ex- 
pounded the higher strategy, and Pole elucidated the prin- 
ciples of the game. At a later date the last named added 
to his weighty contributions toward the advancement of 
the science of Whist by his calculations of its probabilities, 
a phase of the subject which had been neglected by all 
previous writers with the exception of Hoyle, who touched 
upon it in a cursory manner. 

Lovers of Whist owe a debt to Wilham Pole, which it 
would be difficult to estimate. He was the first to make a 
lucid exposition of the principles of the game and in that 
respect the "Philosophy of Whist" can never be super- 
seded. To him is due the credit of first appreciating to its 
fullest extent and of drawing attention to the great car- 
dinal principle involved in the thorough cooperation of the 
combined hands of partners. 

The ''Dean of W^hist," as he has been styled, cele- 
brated the eighty-sixth anniversary of his birth on the 226. 
day of April, 1900.^^ 

Referring to the improved form of the game, which 
came into practice as a consequence of the revelations of 
the trio before mentioned, Doctor Pole writes : "The basis 
of it was the game of Hoyle, and it contained all the good 
features of the latter, but it had the advantage over it of a 

*Dr, Pole died in London on tlie 30th day of December, 1900. 



The Game of Whist. 19 

systematic consolidation and reduction to philosophical 
principles and of some general improvements consequent 
thereon." 

As regards its principles and fundamental features 
this game will probably remain as the standard of Whist. 
Many changes have been made in its details and these 
v^ill always be subject to alteration and modification, but 
the process of evolution must be restricted to them. 

The latter-day improvements have all been in the di- 
rection of increasing the facilities for the communication 
between partners, some of them of an arbitrary character, 
but the best founded upon a logical basis. 

In giving a brief sketch of the elaboration of conven- 
tional plays for the purpose of imparting information, it is 
necessary to go back to the first and most important of 
this class of signals. The origin of the "Blue Peter," or 
the trump signal as it is designated to-day, is obscure. 

Mathews (para 88) elucidates the principle upon which 
it is based. Its reduction to a conventional signal is at- 
tributed to Lord Henry Bentinck. The innovation en- 
countered strong opposition from a great number of play- 
ers, who questioned the morality of using it. It was, how- 
ever, definitely adopted by the Portland Club — at that 
time the undisputed arbiter in all pertaining to Whist — at 
some time between the years 185 1 and 1856, and has since 
become a recognized feature of the game the world over. 
The call for trumps was the germ of the latter-day signal- 
ling game. 

The next development of importance was ''Caven- 
dish's" lead of the penultimate card from five in suit (1872), 
which was followed by General Drayson's proposition to 



20 The Game of Whist. 

employ the ante-penultimate in suits of six (1879). ^^^ these 
plays we see a foreshadowing of the fourth-best of the sys- 
tem of American Leads. 

Up to this time the Old Leads were almost universally 
in vogue. They are based solely upon logical and trick- 
winning principles, and for the most part were practiced 
by the earliest players who brought intellectual ability to 
bear upon the game. Li the year 1883 the idea of the 
fourth-best lead was mooted. This was followed by modi- 
fications and changes in the high card leads and follows to 
indicate the number in suit, resulting in the system of 
American Leads. Notwithstanding considerable opposi- 
tion, this system became widely established in America, but 
has never secured any considerable following abroad. 

The tendency toward precision in the conveyance of 
information, introduced by the new leads, soon extended 
to other features of the play and a veritable craze for con- 
ventions set in. Signals were invented to indicate every- 
thing conceivable, from the state of a player's pulse to the 
amount of his pew rent. The most intricate systems were 
devised, laden with arbitrary plays, and so long as the mys- 
tification of opponents continued, these were often un- 
usually successful. At length, however, it was realized that 
such methods were unprofitable against keen adversaries 
and a reaction set in, which appears to have included the 
American Leads in its influence, for a large number of the 
best players in America have abandoned that system and 
its ultra-conventional accessories for the older and simpler 
leads. 

The following deal is not an extreme illustration of the 
modern conventional game : 



The Game of Whist. 



21 



NORTH. 



THe Hands. 

EAST. SODTH. 



WEST. 



4^7,6,5,4,2. A,K,Q,J,10. 9,8. 3. 

y None. J, 9, 5, 3, 2. A, Q, 8, 4. K, 10, 7, 6. 

*K, 10,7,6. J, 4. A, Q, 5, 2. 9, 8, 3. 

^ 9, 8, 7, 3. A. K, J, 5. Q, 10, 6, 4, 2. 



TRUMP, HEART JACK. 



LEADER SOUTH. 



v* 



8cfc 



A4^ 



THe Play. 



J* 



9(ft 12 



2« 



4c§D 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — According to the American Leads, the system prac- 
ticed in this deal, the ace is led only from five in suit or the ace, 
queen, jack combination, but South makes an irregular lead which 
indicates a desire to have trumps led through the honor turned. 
As he should continue with the fourth best card of the suit, the 
irregularity will be apparent when he next leads the 2. He hopes 
that his partner may be able to take the second trick and that 
he can play the lo of trumps, against which the odds are, of course, 
great. The fact that South has nothing for which to extract 
trumps does not abate his desire to catch the turned Jack. West 
commences the '"four signal" to proclaim four trumps. It is sim- 
ilar to a masked trump call. He will next play the g and when 
later the 3 falls, his partner will learn that he holds four trumps, if, 
indeed, the fact is not sooner divulged to him through a less 
mechanical process. West may not have considered that the ad- 
versaries are more likely than his partner to profit by the in- 
formation. 

North commences the "plain suit echo" by which he will an- 
nounce his holding of four Clubs. It is effected by retaining the 
lowest card until the three higher ones have been played. 

East commences a call for trumps and the entire quartette are 
signalling. 



22 



The Game of Whist. 



Trick 2. — South has called and East has called, and unless the 
suit opened consisted of Ace, 5, 3. 2, West is also declaring trump 
strength. North's dilemma is mitigated by the fact that he has 
no trump to lead. 



3,5, 



104k 



5* 



A4i 



40 



34 



AO 



50 



Trick 3. — North returns his partner's suit, hoping that East 
may take the force. The latter, however, passes the doubtful trick 
(being disinclined to break his five trumps in the face of South's 
declaration of strength) and discards the Spade Ace to show com- 
plete control of the suit. 

Trick 4. — North has no lead but the Diamonds. West com- 
mences an echo to show strength in the suit. Of course, it is use- 
less, but force of habit accounts lor a great deal of Whist play. 



24^ 



10 (^ 



3V 



4^ 





4* 


6V 


6 




Q^ 



J^ 



Trick 5. — East leads the fourth best of his suit and West makes 
a finesse which, in consideration of the turned trump and the pre- 
vious play, is quite justified. 

7'rick 6. — Of course, the Jack and 9 are equals, but East plays 
the former because it was turned. 



7 



5<^ 



20 



2^ 



34^ 



J* 



Kf 



S^ 



Trick 7. — South tries to make his Diamond King, which is the 
only prospect the hand presents. 

Trick 8. — East can practically place the trumps. If he continues 
them South may pass the trick and West take another round, 



The Game of Whist. 



33 



which would enable the adversaries to make the Club Queen and 
maybe a Diamond. East adopts the safer plan of leading Spades. 



6^ 



7* 



60 



104 



K ^ 



10 



Q4 



Q^ 



8^ 



Trick 10'. — South is in a hopeless position. He can but make 
the trump Ace- any way he plays. 



80 



90 



Q4 



11 



K4i 



10 4 



12 



5^ 



JO 

6cg) 



A^ 



7^ 



9^ 



East and West, eight. 
North and South, five. 



QL* 



Note. — These hands are re-played as Deal No. 30 on 
page 239, by different methods and producing a different 
result. 

The reader will readily conceive that the unlimited 
extension of such means of imparting information would 
result in the destruction of the intellectual character of the 
game. Happily there are signs of a widespread reaction. 
Many of the most expert players in America are to-day 
practicing methods which in their essentials differ but little 
from those of Mathews, and whilst the rank and file adhere 
to the American Leads system, there is a marked tendency 
to divest it of the numerous unsound conventional signals 
which have attached to it in recent years. 



General Principles. 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 



THE PRINCIPLE OF CO-OPERATION. 

The basic principle of modern scientific Whist is 
cooperation, or the play in combination of the allied hands. 
This requires the treatment by each player of his partner's 
cards with the same consideration as if they were held by 
himself. Until the beginner has acquired the habitual atti- 
tude of regarding the twenty-six cards held in common, as 
component parts of a whole, it will be impossible for him 
to make any appreciable progress. It may be years before 
he becomes capable of playing his hand to the best advan- 
tage of the mutual interests^ but the sooner he is imbued 
with the spirit of this important principle the better for his 
game. The student will find that all the leading principles 
of Whist are closely allied to that of cooperation, and con- 
template facilitating reciprocal assistance. 

In this connection Doctor Pole writes : "Examples 
of the benefit of this kind of cooperation will readily sug- 
gest themselves. One partner may have good cards in 
plain suits, whilst the other may have good trumps to en- 
able him to bring them in ; one partner may have several 
low cards of a suit and the other a few high ones to enable 
him to establish it ; one partner may be short of a suit and 
the other may be able to lead it to him to ruff, and so on in 
many ways." 

(27) 



28 General Principles. 

Example. — North holds C^ (trumps)"^ A, K, J, 8, 7, 4. 
^5, 2. c&J, 8, 3. OK, 6. South holds 4^ 6, 5. ^ Q, 
10, 4. eg) A, K, Q, 8, 7, 5. 10, 4. 

Supposmg North to have the lead, he would open 
trumps and almost surely exhaust the adversaries, after 
which, by leading Clubs to his partner, he could enable him 
to make six tricks in that suit. The effect is precisely the 
same as if one hand had held the trumps and the strong 
suit. 

^.^^;;2//^.— North holds ^ Q, J, 9, 7. ^ 10, 9, 7, 5, 
4. & A, 2. 7, 6. South holds ^ 10, 8, 6. ^ A, K, 
J> 4- c§D 10, 9, 8, 4. <> K, 2. 

North's Hearts, whilst long, have but little strength, 
but his partner holds three of the four honors and the com- 
bined hands have probably the entire control of the suit 
from the outset. 

Example. — North holds C^ 9, 7, 4, 2. ^ A, 9, 6, 5, 3. 
cJd none. ^> 7> 4) 2. South holds ^ 8, 6, 3. ^ none. 
c§dJ, 10, 7, 6, 4, 2. K' Q. 9, 8. 

In this case each of the partners is devoid of a suit. 
By leading the suit which the other is lacking, each can 
afford his partner an opportunity to make tricks with small 
and otherwise useless trumps. 

Such concerted action necessarily depends upon each 
player having some knowledge of the hand of his partner, 
and the more extensive that knowledge, the greater the 
facility with which the system may be pursued. This is 
demonstrated by the fact that playing "Dummy" — that is 
with an exposed hand for partner — is a decided advantage. 

♦ spades are trumps in all the succeeding examples. 



General Principles. 29 

It follows, that methods of playing the cards which will 
impart information without impairing their trick-taking 
capacity, must facilitate cooperation. This fact has had a 
weighty influence upon the rules for leads and plays. 

THE PRINCIPLE OF ESTABLISHMENT. 

The original lead is, of necessity, more or less tenta- 
tive, unless, as will but very seldom happen, the player is 
in possession of an overwhelmingly strong hand. The 
leader is in ignorance of the position of three-fourths of 
the cards, save the turned trump, and ordinarily the out- 
come of his initial action must depend upon numerous con- 
tingencies, which it is beyond his power to foresee. He 
has, however, at this, as at every stage of the deal, a men- 
tor in the controlling genius of Whist. Probability, 
evolved from a century and a half of practice, must be his 
guide. On this foundation rest the rules of the game, 
and whilst they are subject to exceptions and may under 
some conditions produce loss, it has been conclusively 
proved that, under ordinary circumstances and in the 
majority of instances, they are conducive to the best re- 
sults. 

The natural inclination of the tyro is to lead out such 
winning cards as his hand may contain with a view to mak- 
ing immediate tricks, leaving the subsequent portion of the 
deal to the care of his partner. Or, he will lead a suit of 
one or two cards, so that he may trump the later rounds of 
it. Experience, however, teaches him that neither of these 
methods is Hkely to prove profitable in the long run, 
although they may on rare occasions be productive of 
gains. Furthermore, they are palpably at variance with 



30 General Principles. 

the principle of cooperation, which underhes and influences 
the entire scheme of Whist strategy. 

At a very early stage in the development of the game 
it. was ascertained that on the whole, the most effective 
original lead, and that most conducive to mutual benefit, 
was from the strongest suit the hand contained, strength 
being recognized to consist mainly in length. 

Leaving the trump suit out of consideration for the 
present, it will be premised that the leader's holding in- 
cludes, as it generally will, at least one long, plain suit — 
that is, a suit consisting of more than three cards. Such a 
suit has an inherent trick-taking capacity independent of 
its composition, because in case of an even distribution 
the holder of it must have at least one card left after 
the other players are exhausted. Suppose the leader to 
hold Ace, King, and five other Spades, the remaining six 
being evenly distributed. Such a suit is ''estabhshed" — 
that is, one player completely controls it. The Ace and 
King, if led, will draw the outlying Spades, leaving five of 
the suit with the leader. These are of equal value and each 
is capable of taking a trick but for the contingency of being 
trumped. 

Two or more rounds will generally be necessary to 
establish a suit, as in the following illustration. The leader 
has six Hearts to Queen, with one of which he opens. 
His partner takes the trick with the King, each adversary 
following with a low card, and returns the Ace (as the play 
best calculated to assist the leader), drawing Jack and 
another from the adverse hands and establishing the suit. 

In the foregoing examples the leader's holding was so 
long as to warrant the expectation of exhausting at least 



General Principles. 31 

one of the opponents in two rounds, but when it is prob- 
able that three or four of the suit he in an adverse hand 
the entire command can often be secured more expedi- 
tiously by withholding the high cards. Distribute the Dia- 
monds as follows : North (leader) Ace, Queen, 10, 6. East 
8, 7, 3. South, Jack, 5. West, King, 9, 4, 2. If the suit is 
played from the top down. West takes the second and 
fourth tricks, but if it is broached with a low card, the 
estabHshment is effected in one round with the aid of 
South, and when North regains the lead he may make 
three straight tricks in it. 

The long suit doctrine supports the theory that of 
the various methods of making tricks, that of establishing 
and bringing in long suits is the most desirable to prac- 
tice on more than one account. As the adversaries will, of 
course, oppose the operation and probably engage in sim- 
ilar endeavors on their own account, it can readily be 
understood that the effort to make a suit will more fre- 
quently than not fail. It is, however, contended that by 
playing for the long suit the game of the opposition is 
most effectively retarded, even when the attempt at estab- 
lishment is futile. If a weak suit is led the chances are 
about 2 to I that an adversary is strong in it and the lead 
is apt to assist in adverse establishment. Take the last 
illustration and suppose East as leader to open the Dia- 
monds. His partner's King is lost and North makes three 
tricks in the suit at once. Another strong point in favor 
of the establishment method is that it affords the oppor- 
tunity for opening the hand in a uniform manner, thus 
promoting the mutual understanding between partners, a 
matter of the greatest importance in a game whose cardi- 



32 General Principles. 

nal principle is cooperation. As every hand must contain 
one suit at least of four or more cards, it is evidently prac- 
ticable to invariably open a long suit. AVe will take it 
then, as a general rule, that the hand should originally be 
opened from a suit of more than three cards. When the 
leader's hand contains a suit combining both elements of 
strength, as two or more honors and four or more cards, 
it aftords an unquestionable opening. \Mien, however, 
two long suits are held, each lacking one of the factors 
of strength, the matter is one of judgment. The preference 
should usually be given to the suit of greater length, but 
there are exceptions. For example, holding one suit of 
six cards, headed by a 9, and another of four cards, with 
two honors, the latter would be the better one from which 
to lead, but with only one honor in the latter the choice 
should be reversed. The trick-taking capacity of a suit 
in which the 9 is the highest card is entirely prospective, 
depending upon the promotion of the lower cards and the 
ability of the partnership to exhaust trumps and secure the 
lead for the long suit hand at a later stage of the game, 
which might be eftected through the honor in the second 
long suit. As to the chances of establishing the low card 
suit, if six cards are held it is highly improbable that any 
other player will have as many as four, so that the suit 
being led three times, the original leader may reasonably 
expect to remain with three long cards when the balance 
are played. Whether he makes tricks with them or not 
must depend, as has been said, upon the existence of fa- 
vorable conditions on the other side of the table, and the 
chance of regaining the lead by means of his reentry 
card. 



General Principles. 33 

From the foregoing we may deduce a general rule, 
founded upon the prmciple of cooperative establishment. 
If possible, open from a strong, long suit. Failing such a 
holding, lead a card of the longest suit in hand. In other 
words, having a suit containing two or more honors and 
at least four cards, and another of five or more without an 
honor, choose the former. Otherwise lead from the long- 
est suit the hand contains. 

The following diagram illustrates the process of estab- 
lishment. As frequently happens no long suit is brought 
in. 

The reader is reminded that the illustrations are not 
designed to be studied from the book. The cards should 
be laid out to correspond with the hands preceding the 
diagram and the tricks played in accordance with it, close 
attention being given to the comments. This practice is 
very important and will greatly facilitate an understanding 
of the text. It should be extended to all the examples, and 
whenever a suit or combination of cards is mentioned 
memory and comprehension will be assisted by the ma- 
terial presentation of the situation. 





DEAl 


:. NO. I. 










THe 


Hands. 








NORTH. 


EAST. 


SOUTH. 






WEST. 


4^ A, Q, 5, 2. 


10, 9, 4. 


J, 6. 






K, 8, 7, 3. 


V K, Q, 10, 7. 


J, 8, 5, 2. 


9, 6, 4. 






A, 3. 


*J, 4. 


10, 6, 5. 


Q, 8, 2. 






A, K, 9, 7, 3. 


4 K, 8, 5. 


7, 4, 3. 


A, J, 10, 


9, 


2. 


Q, 6. 



TRUMP, HEART 5. LEADER SOUTH. 



34 



General Principles. 



50 



60 1 



A4 



THe Play. 



30 



KO 



QO 2 40 



9* 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — South opens the Diamonds, in which he has both 
length and strength. The advantage of leading a low card is 
sometimes offset by the probability of having high cards trumped 
on the second or third round. The rules for opening suits take 
both considerations into account, as will be fully explained here- 
after. 

Trick 2. — South can best expedite the establishment of his suit 
by continuing with a card of his interior sequence, which must 
force King or Queen. An intelligent player would not need any 
rule to prompt such action. North is able to place Jack, lo, 2, and 
possibly 7, in his partner's hand. The fall of the Queen indicates 
that West has no more of the suit. 



A^ 



KV 



4^ 



4<5, 



2^ 



K4» 



2(5) 



5c& 



Trick 3. — At this point, if North was playing solely for his own 
hand, he would proceed to make what tricks he could in Spades, 
but consideration for the combined interests actuates him. South's 
Diamonds are established, so that if the adverse trumps can be 
drawn and the lead put into South's hand, he will bring in the 
long cards of that suit. North's trump holding is strong enough 
to justify an attempt to exhaust the opponents. For the rest, he 
is sure of getting in on the Spades, and has a small Diamond to 
lead to his partner. Note how North's calculations are made 
with a view to protecting and supporting his partner's hand. 

Tricks 4 and 5. — West, having secured the lead, endeavors to 
establish his strong suit as a defensive measure. 



A^ 



General Principles. 
6c§5 3Jtt 



86h 



35 



10.5. 



Qtg) 



TricJc 6. — It is an even chance that South has the Club Queen, 
consequently North refrains from using one of his trumps, all of 
which are likely to be needed in the pursuance of the plan he has 
formed for the trump extraction. 



3<;:? 



7^ 



9¥ 



80 



J^ 



7* 



?♦ 



10 



Trick 7. — South's lead of the higher of two remaining cards is 
the conventional manner of returning a suit opened by partner. 
North's attempt to win with an inferior card is termed a finesse. 
He hoped that the Jack might lie to his right, in which case a 
trick would be gained by the play. As it is, he has the advantage 
of retaining the command. 

Trick 8. — East leads the Diamond that North may be forced to 
play the card with which he designed to put his partner in. It is 
possible that West may be able to trump the trick. 





5Q> 


3<^ 


g 




J* 



Q* 



4* 



7* 



10 



9^ 



6* 



Trick 9. — The established Diamonds cannot be brought in. If 
the trump is continued North will be obliged to lead Spades up to 
South's weakness. It is obviously better that they should come 
from the latter, who opens according to the rule for leading 
short suits. North passes the Jack, which is in effect taking the 
major tenace finesse. 



36 



96h 



General Principles. 

QV 10 V 

5^ 



11 



6^:? 



8t^ 



12 



20 



8^ 



A* 



^^ 13 10 4) 



JO 



North and South, nine. 
East and West, four. 



THE PRINCIPLES OF TRUMP PLAY. 

The principle governing the play of the trump suit 
is derived from the conclusion arrived at by long experi- 
ence and concurred in by all Whist authorities, that, of the 
three ways in which trumps may be used, that of extract- 
ing those of the opponents is the most commendable. 

Trumps may be utilized for the following purposes, 
the first and second being capable of combination: i. To 
make tricks in the manner of plain suits. 2. To exhaust 
the adverse hands and prevent their ruffing the strong 
suits of oneself and partner. 3. To ruff the adversaries' 
winning cards. 

It is therefore advisable, from a holding which is ap- 
parently strong enough to draw those of the adversaries, 
that a player early in hand should avoid using his trumps 
in ruffing, and it is equally evident that it must be to his 
advantage to force a strong adverse trump hand to ruff 
and thus diminish or destroy its effectiveness for the exer- 
cise of the main function of the trump suit. 



General Principles. 37 

In brief, when strong enough, the combined hands 
will make every effort to draw the trumps of the opposi- 
tion; when, on the other hand, it is evident that the pre- 
ponderance of trump strength is against them, or when 
they have nothing in plain suits worth playing for, they 
will resort to the ruffing game, affording to each other as 
many opportunities as possible for making tricks with 
their trumps before they can be drawn. 

As in plain suits, the numerical element of strength is 
the more important in trumps, for, if we have decided that 
establishment is the object to be aimed at in the opening of 
the hand, the ability to bring in the long cards is the ulti- 
mate consideration, and that must depend upon exhaust- 
ing the adverse trumps. Whilst every opportunity to 
make tricks in the trump suit will of course be taken ad- 
vantage of, the chief desideratum is to secure a sufficient 
number of leads to draw those of the opponents. The 
process of ''trumping out," as it used to be termed, is 
analogous to that of establishment. 

When the original leader has a sufficient number of 
trumps to justify him in the attempt to draw the adverse 
holdings, the first lead should be a trump. Holding five, it 
is probable that three, and almost certain that four, rounds 
will extract the last one from the hands of the opposition, 
leaving the thirteenth for reentry. It follows, then, that 
with an already established suit and five trumps, the 
latter should be the original lead, irrespective of the size 
of them. 

With but four trumps, an established suit and no other 
strength in the hand, one could not venture upon such a 
lead, unless the trump suit was a very strong one, and even 



38 General Principles. 

then at considerable risk, for should five trumps lie ad- 
versely in one hand, the suit would be useless, unless the 
partner could secure the lead after the last trump had been 
played and reenter the established suit. Reference to the 
first of the tables of probabilities at page 383, will show 
that when a player holds four cards of any suit, an even 
distribution of the remainder will occur but no times in 
a thousand, and partner will hold four or more 337 times ; 
whilst an adversary will hold four or more 633 times — 
nearly twice as often. 

When, in addition to four trumps of at least average 
strength and an established suit, a card of reentry is held, 
the lead from the trumps wdll generally be correct. 

The following may be accepted as a maxim of general 
application. When the only long suit is that of trumps they 
should he led, and generally from five or more, regardless of 
what the rest of the hand consists. 

A few hands are appended, with the correct suit for 
opening in accordance with long suit principles indicated. 
Spades are trumps in all the examples contained in this 
book. 

Ex.-^ K, 7, 2. ^ K, Q, 10, 4. ^8. 8, 7, 6, 5, 2.. 

The strength in Hearts and weakness in Diamonds 
make the former the unquestionable opening. 

Ex.—^ K, 7, 2. ^ K, 9, 6, 4. c?) 8. < C> 10, 8, 7, 6, 5 - 

In this case the high card strength in Hearts is so 
moderate as to be offset by the numerical superiority of 
the Diamonds. 

Ex.— ^K, 7,2. ^A, K, Q. c?dJ, 10, 8, 4, 2. 05,3. 



General Principles. 39 

To play out the high Hearts would probably establish 
the suit with an opponent, whereas by holding them, such 
estabhshment will be retarded and reentrance will be ef- 
fected every time the suit is led. 

Ex.-Q, K, 7, 2. ^ Q, 5, 4. c & Q, 9> 8, 3. <> 8, 7, 2. 

The Club suit is a poor one, but as the only long suit 
it should be opened. The leader cannot expect to effect 
much with his hand, unless it be in the way of supporting 
his partner. The opening is defensive and informative. 

Ex.— Q, Q, 9, 4, 3, 2. ^ A, K, Q, 10, 4- cS) 6. 5, 3- 

In each of the preceding hands the trump suit was 
weak. Here we have an established suit and a moderately 
strong five-trump holding. In the majority of instances 
such a hand will, with ordinary assistance from partner, be 
able to exhaust the adversaries and bring in the strong 
suit. 

^^■- ^ Q> 9, 4. 2 . ^A, K, Q, 10,4. cSdA, 6. 5,3- 

In this case the four trumps, together with the reentry 
card in Clubs, make a holding equivalent to the one pre- 
ceding. 

^^■—Q^ Q, 9, 4. 2. ^ A, K, Q, 10, 4. c& 6, 4. 5, 3. 

The lack of the reentry would make it hazardous with 
two weak suits in the hand to attempt the trump extrac- 
tion, for if that much was accomplished it is quite probable 
that the holder of the Hearts would never get in to make 
them. 

^-.r.-^^Q, 9, 4, 2. ^Q, 10,4. (§5 1,8,6. 9,7,5. 



40 General Principles. 

This is what is cahed a "spHt hand.'' The philosophy 
of the lead is enunciated in the section (page 83) devoted 
to the subject. 

In the foregoing examples one hand only is noticed 
and that before the commencement of play. In the course 
of the deal a condition may arise favorable to decidedly 
aggressive action on the part of a hand which required a 
tentative or defensive opening. The combined elements 
of strength may present an ideal combination from which 
to lead trumps. Suppose one player to have held orig- 
inally an unestablished suit with four trumps, but no 
reentry. In the early tricks of the deal his suit is estab- 
lished and he is enabled to mark his partner with the 
reentry which he lacks. He would of course lead trumps 
on the first opportunity. And so, having an established 
suit and reentry, but weak trumps, he w^ould lead from the 
latter unhesitatingly if his partner gave indications of 
trump strength. 

By carrying a picture in his mind of his partner's hand, 
as it is revealed to him, in combination with his own, a player 
will be in a position to get the best results from the twenty- 
six cards in which he is interested. 

THE PRINCIPLES GOVERNING LEADS. 

As the object of the game is to make tricks, the various 
leads are based primarily upon their trick-taking results 
as ascertained from long practice. The earliest players dis- 
covered the advantage of varying the routine order of 
playing the high cards, when by so doing, information 
might be conveyed to the partner without impairing the 
capacity of the suit for making tricks. A few such leads 



General Principles. 41 

were adopted in Hoyle's day, and a process of logical devel- 
opment, extending over a period of a century and a half, 
has culminated in the systems practiced by players of the 
long suit game, which probably exhaust the possibilities of 
improvement. 

High card openings contemplate immediate trick- 
taking, combined with establishment through the lead of 
winning cards, or such as will force out higher ones and 
promote those in the hand of the leader to the command of 
the suit. 

Ex.—^ A, K, Q, 9, 5, 2. 

The honors of such a suit as the above would be 
played with a view to making tricks with them and in the 
reasonable expectation that they w^ould draw all the out- 
lying cards, so that the 9, 5 and 2 might become equally 

good. 

Ex.-^ K, Q, J, 9, 5> 2. 

An honor led from this holding w^ould draw^ the Ace, 
and after the first round the suit w^ould be equally powerful 
with that last noticed. 

When the suit contains no combination adapted, to 
such tactics, it is broached with a small card, partner being 
relied upon to contribute one or more high cards toward 
the effort at establishment. 

Ex.-^ Q, J, 9, 8, 6. 

The 6 is led. If partner holds the Ace and King, estab- 
lishment is complete, so if he plays King, drawing xA.ce. If 
he can secure the first trick with either card and return the 
suit, it will probably be established upon the second round. 

Let us suppose an intellectual player, ignorant of rules 
and without experience, to be called upon to open a suit 



42 General Principles. 

consisting of ace, king, 8, 6, 4. On first thought, it would 
appear to be a matter of no concern whether he played the 
ace or the king, their trick-taking ability being equal, but, 
on reflection, it might occur to him that, by leading the 
lower of the two, he could indicate his possession of the 
other to his partner without giving equal information to 
the adversaries, so that, if he had occasion to change the 
suit or its continuance was interrupted by fourth-hand 
trumping, his partner would know that he held the ace. 
Having king, queen, jack, 6, the player might argue that 
with only four of the suit in hand, there was a strong prob- 
ability that another holding of equal length was out, and 
if so, that the chances were 2 to i in favor of its being 
against him. Under such conditions he could only hope 
for four tricks in the suit on condition that his partner held 
the ace, for the opponent with four cards would almost 
certainly be able to beat the 6 on the last round. Having 
led the king then, he would, if that card held the trick, play 
his lowest in order to allow his partner to make the ace, 
leaving him with full command."^ If, however, the suit was 
one of five cards, a different process of reasoning would 
regulate his play. The probability in this case of four 
cards being in an outlying hand is small, and with the pros- 
pect of exhausting the adversaries in three rounds, the jack 
would be led, in order to induce partner, if he had the ace, 
to put it on the trick, so that he might not obstruct the 
progress of the suit, as he would if he played his low cards 
on the first rounds and took a later trick with the ace, 
being the last card of the suit in his hand. 



*As a matter of fact, in actual play, the jack Is the usual follow, the 
purpose being to check an adversary who may hold up ace, 10. 



General Principles. 43 

These leads are typical and the principles underlying 
them are in some cases extended for the sake of uniformity 
to conventional leads where the original raison d'etre does 
not exist. 

We will now suppose the player to hold ace, king, 8, 
6, 4 of trumps. The argument advanced for the lead of a 
high card in plain suits — that of its liability to be trumped 
— can not, of course, apply in this instance, and the prin- 
ciple of retaining command of an unestablished suit, which 
has been explained in the section on Establishment, has 
full force. In trumps it is often essential, and always desir- 
able, that the player initiating the attack should win the 
third round, which will frequently be the last, and so secure 
the lead for the continuance of the suit for which he 
is playing. With such a trump holding then, as that men- 
tioned, the player would lead a low card in the hope that 
partner could take the trick, or if not, force the play of 
one of the higher adverse trumps. 

On the same principle the trump suit is generally 
opened with a low card, unless it contains such strength — 
numerical or high card — as to make it probable that two 
rounds will exhaust one or both of the adversaries. 

THE PRINCIPLE OF SECOND HAND PLAY. 

The play of the second hand is influenced by the con- 
sideration that the third player will put his highest upon a 
low card led by his partner, and consequently an attempt 
to take the trick by the second player would be of no avail 
(unless he could put in a card higher than any held by the 
third hand), and to make it would be assisting the estab- 
Hshment of the suit with the leader. It is an even chance 



44 General Principles. 

that the last player can take the trick, but, if not, the orig- 
inal second occupies the advantageous position of lying 
over the strong hand on the the return of the suit. 

Example. — South (leader) ^ K, 9, 8, 5, 4. West (sec- 
ond hand) J, 6, 3, 2. North (third hand) Q, 10. East 
(fourth hand) A, 7. 

South opens with the 4. West plays Jack. North 
plays Queen and East Ace. Now South's suit is established 
and barring trumping he can make four tricks in it. But 
supposing that to South's lead West plays low, North 
nevertheless goes up with the Queen and East takes the 
trick, but second hand is left in possession of the guarded 
Jack and is sure of the next or following trick in the suit. 

When second hand has better than an average holding 
in the suit opened — such as two honors and others — it is 
fair to presume that the strength is divided between him 
and the leader. In such a case he sometimes plays a high 
card to obviate the chance of the trick going to the third 
player cheaply. Instead of leaving the trick to partner, as 
he would on an ordinary distribution, he acts upon the pre- 
sumption that the latter is very weak in it. 

Example. — Second hand holds ^ K, Q, 7, 2. 

A low card is led. It is highly probable that the eldest 
hand has one honor at least. If second hand follows with 
a low card the player on his left may retain the trick with 
the Jack or a card of less value, which consideration would 
induce the play of one of the honors. 

Thus the guiding principle of second hand play might 
find expression in a general rule to '^follozi' zcith a lon' card 
uulcss able fo contest the control of the suit z\.'ith the leader.'' 



General Principles. 45 

THE PRINCIPLE OF THIRD HAND PLAY. 

Being- the partner of the leader it devolves upon the 
third player to do his utmost toward the establishment of 
the suit opened. As that condition implies the entire con- 
trol by the holder of the suit, it can not be accomplished 
whilst any cards which may possibly take tricks are out- 
standing. It is the duty of the third hand to play such 
high cards as he may have, as soon as practicable, and to 
endeavor to force from the adversaries any they may hold. 
From the foregoing premises is deducible the rule : Third 
hand play your highest. 

Example. — North leads 5. South, from an original 
holding of king, jack, 4, takes the trick with the king and 
immediately returns the jack to force the ace or queen if 
adverse and at the same time to get out of the way of lower 
cards in his partner's hand. 

THE PRINCIPLE OF STRENGTHENING PLAY. 

An important principle springing immediately from 
that of cooperation is that the weaker hand of the partnership 
zmll always be subservient to the stronger. 

This applies in part or in whole. The player who holds 
fewer than his partner of the suit for which the latter is 
playing, will treat his holding as auxiliary to that of his 
partner, and the player whose hand in general is weaker 
than his partner's will play in the manner best calculated to 
strengthen and support him. The application of this prin- 
ciple is of frequent recurrence in the strategy of Whist, and 
will be especially noticeable in connection with the play of 
second and third hand, and in the method of leading weak . 
suits. A few cases by way of illustration will suffice. 



46 General Principles. 

Example. — Second hand holds ^ J, 10, 2. 

A low card is led. Such a holding is not likely to im- 
pede the establishment if held up, but the play of one of the 
high cards may strengthen the fourth hand by saving a 
higher card to him. Such, for instance, would be the case 
if the leader had opened from Ace, Queen, etc., and the 
last player held the King. By putting in the 10, second 
hand would gain the trick and enable his partner to retain 
the next to the best with which to retard the game of the 
leader. 

Example. — The leader opens low from ^Q, 10, 9, 6, 5. 
Third hand takes the first trick with the ace, and with jack 
and 5 remaining returns the former, that he may strengthen 
his partner and get the high cards of his suit out of his way. 

THE PRINCIPLE AFFECTING CHANGE OF SUITS. 

One of the most recently evolved, but thoroughly es- 
tablished principles of Whist, is that embodied in the 
maxim : Avoid changing suits. 

The establishment and bringing in of a suit is an ex- 
ceedingly difficult accomplishment, which would be un- 
necessarily enhanced by extending the process simulta- 
neously to two suits. To open a second, before the first has 
been disposed of, is to disorganize the scheme of long suit 
play. This contemplates combined effort to make a par- 
ticular suit, and the auxihary employment of the trumps 
and high cards of other suits, the latter to furnish the 
reentries. If one player having commenced the establish- 
ment of a suit, his partner on getting in proceeds to open 
another, the latter will probably be rendered useless for 
reentry at the time it is most needed, and each of the part- 



General Principles. 47 

ners will have started upon an individual venture in direct 
opposition to the principle of cooperation. 

That any suit, unless headed by more than two high 
cards in sequence, when it makes no difference, is more 
favorably led up to than from, is easily demonstrable, con- 
sequently the broaching of two such suits is likely to re- 
bound to the benefit of the adversaries. There are, of 
course, exceptions which will be considered hereafter, but, 
as a general rule, the suit first opened should be continued 
until'established. 

THE PRINCIPLE OF LEADING THROUGH STRENGTH. 

Playing through an adverse strong suit is an effective 
form of assisting partner, whilst placing the adversary in 
the embarrassing position of having to part with his com- 
manding cards or subject lower ones to the risk of being 
taken by the player on his left. Occasions for the employ- 
ment of this form of tactics will frequently arise, especially 
in the later stages of the deal. 

Example. — Suppose West to have led the ^ 6, to which 
North played the 4, East the 9 and South the 10. The 
remaining cards are distributed thus : North, A, Q, 5. 
East, 3, 2. South, 8. West, K, J, 7. 

It is clear that East has no high card of the suit and, 
therefore, the strength in it must be divided between West 
and North. If South continues the suit he gives his part- 
ner the advantage of playing after West, with the knowl- 
edge that the fourth hand holds nothing above the 9. It 
will be noticed that whichever card West plays. North will 
cover with that next above and remain with the command. 



48 General Principles. 

PRI^XIPLES APPLYING TO THE FINESSE. 

The word finesse in early Whist parlance was apphed 
to any play of a fine or subtle character. In its correct 
modern use the term is restricted to that form of tactics 
which involves the attempt by first, second or third hand 
to accomplish with a card other than the best in hand what 
is certainly achievable only by the former, at the risk of the 
trick falling to a card of intermediate rank.* 

Example. — South leads the cj? 5; West pla3^s the 2; 
North, holding Ace, Queen, etc., puts up the lower card on 
the chance that the King is not to his left ; or, 

Example. — South leads cj? 10; West plan's 5; North, with 
King, Jack, etc., passes the card led in the hope (first) that 
East has neither Ace nor Queen, in which case the 10 will 
hold the trick as effectually as the King or Jack could have 
done, and (secondly) that East may hold the Ace but not the 
Queen, when the 10 will draw the former as readily as 
North's highest card could have. If East holds both the 
honors finessed against, it matters not, so far as the imme- 
diate trick goes, how North plays, but if East has the Queen 
only, the finesse possibly costs a trick. 

A player should not finesse in his partner's suit. To 
do so is contrary to the principle of estabhshment, for 
the reason that the holder of a strong suit desires it 
cleared by the play of high cards from his partner's as well 
as from the adverse hands. When, however, the lead is 

♦Although in its broadest sense the application of the term is prac- 
tically unlimited, its latter-day meaning is distinct and restricted. Clearer 
understanding and more precise expression are secured by the limited use 
of the word. When it is known that the left-hand adversary can not 
take the trick it is manifestly improper to style the play of a card other 
than the best in hand a finesse. So with underplay and holding up, when 
they do not contemplate any attempt upon the side of the partner to win 
or force the command. 



General Principles. 49 

from a weak suit, or one in which third hand has the 
stronger holding (as when his partner opens a suit of which 
he holds ace, queen, jack, etc.), the conditions are reversed 
and the possessor of the stronger hand may finesse at dis- 
cretion. In the case of a supporting card lead (and it is 
taken for granted that weak suits, unless headed by a 
reentry, will not be opened with a card lower than 9, except 
as secondary leads), third hand must conserve his strength 
to oppose the adversaries. He can count the adverse cards 
superior to that led, and he should pass it unless he is 
sufiiciently strong to improve the trick and remain with 
adequate protection in the suit, or unless he has urgent 
need for the lead. 

In trumps (for the reason that withholding the high 
cards does not enhance the risk of losing them) the finesse 
may be taken with much greater freedom than in plain 
suits. 

The stratagem is not confined to the high cards. The 
later rounds of suits will frequently afTord opportunities 
for practicing it with small ones. 

Example. — North holds the last trump and the 10 and 7 
of Clubs, being the major tenace in fact. The 9, 6, 5 and 3 
are outlying but cannot be placed. South leads the 3; West 
plays the 6 ; North must finesse the 7 on the chance of his 
right hand adversary having the 9. 

Successful finessing calls for the exercise of close ob- 
servation and sound judgment, and as the latter quality is 
dependent upon experience, beginners are advised not to 
finesse in other than the most transparent situations. 

The success of a finesse is not to be judged solely by 
the result of the trick in which it is essayed, nor is its advis- 



50 General Principles. 

ability to be calculated entirely from that viewpoint. (Vide 
Deal 5, Tr. 2, Tr. 7, p. 88.) A player may lose a trick by 
putting in the queen, whilst holding the ace, and gain two 
through the adversary leading up to another tenace in his 
hand. A hand may be so poor outside of the suit in which 
the finesse is taken, as to make the avoidance of the lead 
a positive advantage. 

The probability of the suit going round three times, 
or otherwise, and trump strength are important considera- 
tions in deciding whether to risk the loss of the card, which 
must be held up in order to effect the finesse. 

Other elements of the calculation are the stage of the 
deal, the general composition of the hand, the position of 
the player and his partner in the following trick if the 
finesse loses, and the suit likely to be led in the same event. 

It is seldom sound to make a finesse w^hich will hazard 
more than one trick, or to make one imless the contingent 
gain be greater than the contingent loss. 

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE DISCARD. 

The player who is called upon to discard may be 
likened to the commander who is obliged to withdraw a 
portion of his force from the field of action. He will take 
troops from the point at which they can best be spared, 
but the place whence they are detached must necessarily be 
weakened. If the day is going well with him, or if the 
enemy is retiring, he will probably form his detachment 
from the remnants of some shattered corps rather than 
draw it from a body which is comparatively intact and 
effective for an aggressive movement. On the other hand, 



General Principles. 51 

if hard pressed, he would not venture to reduce his defense 
in an already weakened quarter, nor upon the retreat 
would he detach troops from the rear guard which, 
although a comparatively small portion of his force, would 
be that upon which the safety of his entire army must de- 
pend. 

So in Whist, a card can not be discarded without 
weakening the suit from which it is thrown, but the effect 
upon the hand will depend upon the condition of the deal. 
In a normal or favorable situation a player should not re- 
duce his power of aggression by discarding from his strong 
suit. His weakest holding would be selected for the pur- 
pose, with reservations, however. He would not deprive 
an honor of its guard, nor eject a card which might be 
needed to reenter his partner, any more than the general 
would deprive a posted gun of its support, or remove a 
regiment whose duty was to maintain communication be- 
tween two parts of the field. 

When the adversaries have displayed preponderating 
strength in trumps, the chance of bringing in the long suit 
is obviously minimized and its low cards are of little value, 
whilst it is of the utmost importance to retain whatever 
strength may be held in the weaker suits, for the purpose 
of obstructing the tactics of the opposition. 

The application of this principle is somewhat modified 
by the consideration that it is not advisable to give precise 
information to adversaries who are excessively strong, 
especially when the partner has no ability to profit by it; 
therefore, whilst the rule to discard from strength, when 
the balance of power in trumps is adverse, holds good in 



52 



General Principles. 



general, departure from it may be advisable under certain 
circumstances. 

THE PRINCIPLE OF FORCING AND RUFFING. 

It has been said that the most profitable function of 
the trump suit is that of drawing the adversaries' cards in 
it and that nothing can be more detrimental to a hand 
which has sufficient strength to effect that purpose, than to 
be forced to ruff. 

That being the case, it follows that no opportunity 
should be lost to force a strong adverse trump holding, and 
care should be exercised to avoid forcing a partner under 
like conditions. 

DKAL NO. 2. 

Forcing an Adversary. Declining to Draw the Losing 
Trump. 

THe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4^ 8, 7, 6, 3. Q, 2. 

V K, Q, J. 10, 6. 

^ 9, 6. 7, 5, 3, 2. 

♦ Q, 6,5, 4. K,9,8,3,2. 



A, K, J, 5. 10, 9, 4 

9,8,5,4,3,2. A, 7. 

10. A,K,Q,J,8,4. 

A, 7. J, 10. 



TRUMP, SPADE JACK. 



LEADER WEST. 



6<Sb 



9* 



K4, 



2c& 



10 eg) 



J* 



3cSb 



54^ 



General Principles. 



53 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — West knows South to have no more Clubs or to 
have commenced a call for trumps. He bears in mind the valuable 
advice of James Clay: "It is a common and fatal mistake to aban- 
don your strong suit, because you see that your adversary will 
trump it. * * "^ Remember that when you are not strong enough 
to lead a trump, you are weak enough to force your adversary." 
Of course, if East turned out to be strong enough to extract 
trumps, a trump lead by West here would make a big score: but 
West would be playing two to one against himself in leading them. 
By following King with Jack, West declares Ace and Queen left 
in hand. 



7^ 



J^ 



2V 



6(y 



KV 



3^ 



10^ 



Tricks 3 and 4.— South's Hearts may be a valuable asset if 
North can sufficiently help therein. By North's playing Jack and 
Returning King, South knows him to hold Queen also. 



J4 



40 



AO 



20 



44^ 






K4 



Trick 5. — West cannot now continue Clubs, as he knows both 
adversaries to be void. The trump lead is too risky. He must 
play to find East with good Diamonds. 

Tricks 6 and 7. — North's echo to the trump lead shows him 
to have two more trumps at least left in hand. East has no more. 
To lead the best trump will make only three more tricks, if East 
holds the King of Diamonds and West a losing trump; for North's 
Queen will block the Hearts. But if South allows West to trump 
the Queen of Hearts, North and South make four more tricks 
against any position of the Diamonds. 



54 



9* 



General Principles. 



30 



A* 



4V 



Trick 8, — Therefore South leads the Heart and refrains from 
drawing the losing trump. 



50 



10 4 



so 



7 





60 


A4^ 


10 




J^ 



5cSb 



TricTcs 9 to 13. — The Diamond is the only other trick for East 
and West. North and South nine. East and West four. 

A hand which is too weak to be employed with suc- 
cess in the process of extraction, will endeavor to make 
its otherwise worthless trumps by ruffing, before they fall 
to leads from superior holdings. The partner of the weak 
player wiU assist him, as far as possible, to attain his ob- 
ject. 

In conformity with this principle, second hand, with 

less than average strength in trumps, ruffs a doubtful trick 
which he would otherwise trust to his partner's even 
chance of taking it. 

The use of the trump suit for ruffing may be pro- 
ductive of more tricks than the process of trumping out, 
if both partners are able to take part in it at the same time, 
so that the majority of their trumps will make separately, 
in which case those of the adversaries are likely to fall 
together upon the last tricks. Such a situation is termed 
a cross-ruff, and when it develops advantage should gen- 
erally be taken of it, even though to do so necessitates the 



General Principles. 



55 



abandonment of a plan to establish a long suit ; for as the 
opponents can get few discards during the progress of the 
''see-saw/' any winning cards in the ruffing hands are not 
apt to be hazarded by the play. 
Example of Cross-Ruff: 



NORTH. 



DEAL NO. 3. 
EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 J, 10, 6, 5. Q, 3. 

fjr A,J,8, 7,3. 10,9,5. 

*A, 6, 2. Q, 10, 9, 3. 

4 A. Q, J, 9, 3. 



A, 9, 4, 2. K, 8, 7. 

None. K, Q, 6, 4, 2. 

J, 7, 5. K, 8, 4. 

K,10,6,5,4,2. 8,7, 



TRUMP, CLUB ACE. 



LEADER EAST. 



7 



AO 



20 



34 



2^ FT" 



24^ 



5^ 



Tric/ts 1 and 2.— The fall to the first trick indicates to South 
that his partner held but one Diamond, since it takes the Ace to 
beat the 7, and all the cards below the latter can be accounted for. 

South's discard denies a desire to have trumps led (as it can- 
not be the commencement of a signal), and North forces him 
without hesitation, initiating the cross-rufif, which the opposing 
side is powerless to obstruct. 



3V 



4^ 



9^ 



80 



2(Sb 



90 



5cg) 



4* 



56 



6^ 



General Principles. 
^0^ 7t$> 



JO 



7cg) 



5^ 



Trick 6. — There would be no use in West's trumping in, since 
the Ace is turned with North; but for that fact he would be justi- 
fied in ruffing with his King. 



8¥ 



Ac5b 



Q^ 



Q& 



K<55 



3* 



44^ 



JcS. 



TricTc 7. — The known position of the Ace gives East's Queen a 
little better than an even chance to hold the trick, and he will 
remain with ample strength in trumps should the trick fall to 
the King. 



5* 



84i 



3^ 



A4i 



6^ 



^^ 



10 



Q* 



9* 



J^ 



KV 



11 



QO 



60 



10^ 



44, 



12 



9c2> 



10 



J* 



8cSb 



13 



104k 



KO 



North and South, eight. 
East and West, five. 



General Principles. 



57 



In the foregoing deal the plain suit strength was decidedly 
against North and South, making the cross-ruff profitable. In 
the following illustration the conditions are such that a loss must 
result from the adoption of the ruffing tactics. 

DKAi, NO. 3(a). 

Declining to Institute a Cross- Ruff. 



NORTH. 



THe HaAcls. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



^ A, K, J, 10, 6. 3, 2. 8, 5, 4. Q, 9, 7. 

V A, K, Q, 8. J, 7, 6. 9, 4, 3, 2. 10, 5. 

4k K, 7, 6. Q, J, 10, 4, 2. 9. A, 8, 5, 3. 

^ 5. K, J, 9. A, 8, 7, 6, 2. Q, 10, 4, 3. 



TRUMP, HEARTS DECLARED. 



LEADER, EAST. 



THe Play. 



Kc& 



Q¥ 



3c£) 



Q4^ 



5^ 



6^ 



9c§D 



3^ 



COMMENT. 



Tricks 1 awe? 2.— The fall to the round of Clubs almost surely 
marked South out of the suit. It Is possible (but highly improb- 
able, in view of North's hand and the adverse declaration of ex- 
ceptional strength in Clubs) that he is signalling. By leading the 
Diamond North could institute an immediate cross-ruff, for even 
though the trick fell to an opponent North or South could enter 
on any continuation. The following considerations, however, deter 
North from adopting ruffing tactics. He has a certainty of three 
rounds of trumps, and so can draw cards from the adversaries 
which would probably make if the cross-ruff was adopted. He 
has a suit of Spades which may be good for five tricks, and since 
South is short in one suit it is quite likely that he can afford 
North one or two discards. 



58 



7* 



General Principles. 
2^ 5cg> 



4^ 



2^:? 



2<S> 



Tricks 3 and 4. — North has indicated his desire to have trumps 
extracted, but he has no idea of missing the opportunity of allow- 
ing South to rufif. As a precautionary measure he shows his 
Spade reentry before leading the Club, thus obviating the possi- 
bility of his partner going wrong, for if he has but two trumps 
or misunderstands the play he will come back with a Spade. 

South completes an echo to show four trumps in ruffing. 



10 (^ 



K^ 



9V 



7^ 



8* 



64, 



4^ 



4cSb 



Trick 6. — Having shown the Spades, Nor-th can safely force 
his partner's last trump. 



30 



50 



A> 



90 



9* 



10 4i 



8 



8* 



3^ 



Tricks 7 and 8 — The partner of a player for whose suit trumps 
have been drawn, being in the lead after the extraction, should 
make any winning cards in his hand, provided they can not be 
needed for reentry, before returning the strong suit. In this 
case South surmised that the Spades were exceptionally strong, 
since North could have had little else, and he is marked with a 
long trump after drawing the last outstanding. 

After the successful finesse North has nothing to do but draw 
East's trump and take the remaining tricks. 



40 



General Principles. 



J*;;? 



20 



10 



10(S> 



54i 



59 



J* 



A<Sb 



11 



Jc& 



60 



6* 



10 



12 



JO 



7 



8V 



QO 



13 



KO 



80 



North and South, thirteen. 
East and West, nought. 



Note. — If the deal is played as a cross-ruff, East and West 
take two tricks at least. 



TKe Original I^ead. 



THE ORIGINAL LEAD. 



The first lead of a deal is of great importance. The 
entire subsequent play is more or less influenced by it and 
the score is very frequently the direct result of it. 

The original leader enjoys several peculiar advantages, 
which are of more or less value according to the composi- 
tion of his hand. He may take immediate action in a plan 
which the adversaries must obstruct or divert before they 
can put their own schemes into operation ; he is subject to 
no delay in imparting to his partner information of his 
holding and intentions ; he has one costless lead, whilst 
every succeeding one in the deal must be at the expense 
of a reentry, consequently his chance of estabHshing a 
suit is greater than that of any other player and of any 
other than the dealer (who has the advantage of a turned 
trump) of bringing one in ; when he holds strong trumps 
the ability to institute an instant attack may be of the 
greatest value. On rare occasions, however, the lead will 
be a positive detriment by reason of the unfavorable com- 
position of the hand. 

Much, or all of the benefit attaching to the position of 
original leader may be lost by a bad or injudicious opening. 
As the partner of the first player will be on the qui vive 
to draw inferences from the initial lead at a time when he 

(63) 



64 The Original Lead. 

has little else to guide him, it is highly desirable that the 
opening should be unequivocal and from a long suit. The 
lead, whether it be from a lay suit or the trumps, may be 
tentative or aggressive. 

Bx.—^ K, J, 9, 2. ^ J, 10, 6, 4. eg) 9, 7> 6. 10, 8. 

With such a hand the leader is not in a position to 
plan an attack. He opens with the Heart 4, because he is 
best protected in that suit and in the hope that his partner 
may be strong in it. The lead is in the nature of a cautious 
experiment. (Vide Deal 10, Tr. i, p. 121.) 

£x.—^ K, 10, 2. ^ A, Q, J. 9, 7, 6. c& A, Q, 2. <> 8. 

In this case the leader holds a six-card suit which he 
can certainly establish, supported by a reentry, and if his 
partner has the necessary trump strength the Hearts can 
be brought in. He plans and plays with that end in view 
and his lead is in the nature of an assault in force. 

The tentative trump lead is from a "split hand," which 
is described in a succeeding section. Any other original 
opening from the trump suit is an unequivocal declaration 
of extraordinary strength in the hand. This strength may 
be of three descriptions. It may (i) lie in the trump suit 
alone, (2) solely in the lay suits, or (3) in a combination of 
both elements. The fohowing hands afford illustrations 
of each condition: 

Exs,— ^K, 10,9, S, 5,^. ^7. c§)J,3, 2. 9>7,3- 
4^8,2. ^A,K,J. c&A,K,io.9. <> K,Q,L8. 
^K,Q,9,8. ^A,K,Q,io,4. c?d A,2. 7,3. 

By making such an opening the leader intimates his 
ability to direct and control the deal in the main, and con- 



The Original Lead. 65 

veys a desire to have the lead returned to him at the 
earHest opportunity, and to have his partner's hand subor- 
dinated to his in the subsequent tactics. At a later stage, 
when all leads must be considered in connection with the 
preceding play, the same inferences are not to be drawn 
from a trump lead. 

THE PLAIN SUIT LEAD FROM EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH. 

When the leader holds six cards of a suit, more than 
half the time it will go round only once, and the chance of 
speedy estabhshment is so great that, in default of a trump 
lead, it should generally be opened regardless of the ab- 
sence of high cards. With an excessively long suit there is 
some chance of the lead drawing from partner the only 
card of the suit in his hand. In leads from seven cards 
this will happen more than one-fourth of the times, and 
v^ould prevent him from putting the leader in at a later 
stage when the latter might have no other means of 
reentry. This consideration will often induce a trump lead 
— which would not otherwise be made — when the suit is 
established. 

^^.— 4^ K, 10, 8, 6. ^ A,K:,Q,8,5.4,3. cS^ 7- 3- 

In this case, should the partner's only Heart be ex- 
tracted by the first lead of the suit, the chance of making 
more than one or two tricks would be very small. On the 
other hand, if the adversaries' trumps can be drawn before 
the Hearts are touched a great game may result. 

The holder of five cards of average size may count 
upon establishing his suit. No other holding of equal 
length will be out in 807 of i,ooo deals. Of the remaining 



66 The Original Lead. 

193 occasions an adverse suit, equalling or exceeding that 
of the leader in length, will be held 128 times only. 

It will so seldom happen that two five-card suits are 
contained in the same hand, that the possibility is not 
worth considering. When it occurs, no difficulty is likely 
to be experienced in the choice of leads. 

From a hand that does not demand a trump opening, 
the five-card suit should be opened, unless it is exceedingly 
weak, in preference to a suit of four of greater high card 
strength. The latter will aid the establishment of the 
longer suit by affording reentry for it. 

Bxs.—^K,9,4. ^A,K, 6,2. c§dJ,io,9,7,5. 8. 
4^ K, 9, 4,2. ^A,K,Q,4. c2dK,io,9,7,6. <C> none. 
4^A,2. ^K,Q,5,3. c& 2,10,8,6,4. OK, 2. 

In all the above cases it will be noticed that there is 
a good prospect of bringing in the long suit, if reentries 
are retained and partner has average trump strength. 

When the probabilities are against the long suit ever 
being established, there can be no justification for the effort 
and the strong suit should be opened, as offering better de- 
fense and the greater chance of making tricks. 

Ex.—^K,7,2. ^K,Q, 10,3. c§d8,6,5,4,2. <^ 6. 

It is poor play to lead a suit to partner in w^hich there 
is no defense. He will put up his highest, which in such a 
case — instead of promoting establishment with the leader 
— will strengthen the adversaries. 

A suit including the major tenace (ace, queen), or the 
minor tenace (king, jack), or double tenace (ace, queen, 
10), may be held up with some advantage, because if it 



The Original Lead. 67 

be led up to, the holder enjoys the chance of catching the 
intermediate card or cards, and gaining one or two tricks, 
but the possible benefit derivable from the tenace may be 
more than offset by loss from a bad substitute lead. 

Certain players, and especially the adherents of the 
short suit school, overestimate the advantage of holding 
up a tenace suit. Insufficient weight is allowed to the 
adverse chances. In case of the major tenace held up in 
the hope of catching the king, there are the possibilities 
(i) of the partner holding that card, (2) of its being to the 
left, and (3) that it lies on the right, but is doubly guarded. 
Add to these considerations the probability that no other 
hand will be strong enough in the suit to open it until late 
in the deal, which may necessitate its being ultimately 
broached to less advantage than if it had been led origi- 
nally, or perhaps cards may be discarded from it, perforce, 
which might have been brought in as part of an established 
suit. 

Ex.—C^ Q,io,6,5. ^ A,Q,io,4,2. 6h QJ,4,3. none. 

The foregoing hand looks hke a favorable holding in 
which to keep back the double tenace, but upon examina- 
tion it will be seen that the lead from that suit is the best 
the hand affords. On general principles it is inadvisable to 
open from a four-card suit when holding an equally strong 
one of five cards. The chances of partner holding one or 
both of the outlying honors of either suit are exactly equal. 
If he has the Ace or King of Clubs that suit will probably 
be pursued for three rounds, when the original leader will 
be compelled to fall back upon the tenace suit after having 
deprived it of its reentry support. On the other hand, if 
the Hearts are broached, the chances are largely in favor 



68 The Original Lead. 

of the suit being established with the loss of but one trick 
in it. 

When two strong suits of equal length are held, one 
of which is a tenace, the possible benefit to be derived from 
holding up of the latter may be played for without risk. 

Exs.—C^ J,io,8. ^ A, Q, 9, 7,6. eft A,K,7,4,2. <C> none. 
4i 8, 7. ^ K,J,8,7,4, eg) K,Q,6,5,3. A. 
4iK,J,4. ^A,Q,io,6. c&QJ,io,4. 0^,8. 

THE PLAIN SUIT LEAD FROM AVERAGE STRENGTH. 

In a great many instances the leader will hold no 
suit of more than four cards. Although mathematically 
greater, four cards are practically the average holding in 
a suit and with that number a player must not consider 
himself in possession of more than ordinary strength. Ex- 
cept from the extremely improbable contingency of three 
or four discards from the suit by other players, a holding 
of four can not leave more than one long card with the 
holder of it, and that only when the remainder of the suit 
is equally divided, a distribution which will occur but no 
times in a thousand. Twice as often it will happen that the 
suit will be established for an adversary and long cards left 
in his hand, the probabilities being that 229 times in a 
thousand deals the opener of a four-card suit will find him- 
self opposed by a longer holding, whilst on 404 additional 
occasions an adversary will hold equal length with him. 
To summarize, when a player opens a suit of four cards, 
the chances are that no times in a thousand each of the 
others will hold exactly three ; four or more will be held by 
the partner 337 times and by an adversary 633 times. 
It stands to reason that the lead from average strength 



The Original Lead. 69 

must be mainly defensive in its character. The leader has 
no longer suit, or if he has one it is extremely weak, conse- 
quently he adopts the alternative which leaves him with 
the best protection against the opposing hands. The odds 
are against the opener of a four-card suit estabhshing it, 
and when he does so there can be very little left to bring 
in, so the play of such a holding resolves itself into an en- 
deavor to make as many tricks in the suit as possible, and 
to obstruct its adverse estabhshment. 

When the suit is already established, it is generally 
advisable to make the winning cards at once, in the course 
of which process an adversary's strong trump holding may 
be forced to advantage. 

If two four-card suits are held it will be generally 
right to open the stronger. When, however, the one is 
headed by ace, king, or king, queen, and the other is suf- 
ficiently strong to warrant the belief that with ordinary 
assistance from partner two or three tricks may be made in 
it, the first should be retained to furnish reentry and the 
latter opened. Only under exceptional circumstances, 
when an adversary (who is unlikely to be very short in a 
suit of which you hold but four cards) is able to discard all, 
or all but one^ of his holding before the stronger suit is 
opened, is the proceeding calculated to produce a loss. 
Against this remote contingency may be set the probable 
gain by withholding the strong suit. Any suit, unless 
headed by three cards in sequence, is likely to make more 
tricks when led up to than when led from. Thus, a four- 
card suit of ace, king, 6, 2, when opened will secure the 
first two tricks and allow an adverse queen, if sufficiently 
guarded, to make, but should the suit be led by another 



70 The Original Lead. 

hand there is considerable chance of the queen being 
taken. Or suppose a suit consisting of king, queen, 4, 2, to 
be broached with the highest card. The odds are 2 to i in 
favor of the king falHng to the ace, but if the lead comes 
from one of the other players the probability of both 
honors taking tricks is greatly increased, even though the 
ace lie with an opponent. 

£xs.-^ A,io,3. ^A,K,4,3. c?) K,io,9,8. Q J- 
4^K,Q,6. ^K,Q,7,5. * QJ,9,8. 0^,2. 

In the foregoing illustrations, if partner holds one 
honor in the Clubs, the probabilities are that the com- 
bined hands will take at least two tricks in the suit. The 
first example represents the minimum strength which will 
justify the selection of the weaker suit for the lead. It 
should include not less than one honor and the 10. 

It will occasionally happen that the only long suit in 
a hand is one composed of low cards. In such a case the 
leader may be compelled to resort to 

THE PLAIN SUIT LEAD FROM W^EAKNESS. 

In general the term ''weak suit" is applied to any hold- 
inof of fewer than four cards. In this work it has been 
deemed advisable to make three divisions and to give a 
specific appellation to each. Three-card suits are referred 
to as "weak," those of two cards as ''short," and a solitary 
card as a "singleton." As- each of these holdings has its 
peculiar characteristics and functions it is believed that this 
amplification of the existent Whist phraseology will tend 
to a better understanding of the subject. 

On first thought, it may appear paradoxical to style a 
suit consisting of ace, king, queen, weak, but it must be 



The Original Lead. 71 

borne in mind that strength in Whist is chiefly a numerical 
quaUty. A suit of three cards can not be estabhshed, and it 
seldom has a great defensive capacity. Another detri- 
mental peculiarity of a three-card suit is the fact that the 
holder of it has little prospect of trumping the adversaries' 
winning cards because, unless he gets a discard, he can 
follow to three rounds. 

There is no worse opening than from a weak suit, 
unless its composition is such as to permit of the lead of 
a card which will strengthen partner by relieving him of 
the necessity of putting up a higher one, save in the event 
of second hand covering. Sequences are best adapted to 
such purpose and when the entire suit is in sequence a 
lead from it may be made without impairing its original 
strength. 

Exs.—{^io,9,^. ^8,5,4,2. &QJ,io. A,4,2. 
Q, 10,9,8,7. ^9,6.4,3. c&J,io,8. 0A,2. 
^ 10, 9, 8, 7. ^ 6, 4, 3, 2. 6^ 10,9,3. 4,2. 

In the above instances the long suit has less defensive 
power than the weak one. If the Queen, Jack or 10 is led 
the partner will pass (failing a cover by second hand), un- 
less he holds excessive strength. 

An original lead of a low card from weakness should 
never be made in a plain suit. It can afiford no support to 
partner and may be mistaken by him for a lead from 
strength with disastrous consecjuences. 

When the weak suit contains a reentry card not in 
sequence, the suit, if led, should be opened with a low card 
contrary to the usual practice. 



72 The Original Lead. 

Examples.— QiQ,'S>,'],^. ^9,7>3,2. c2dA, 10,3. 7,6. 
4^Q,8.7, 2. ^9,7,3,2. cSdK,8,4. <C>7,6. 
4^Q.8,7,2. ^9,7.3,2. c2dQ,6,3. 07,6. 

Substitute, however, the King, Queen and Jack respec- 
tively for the second cards in the above Club suits and they 
would be opened from the top as usual. 

If it is necessary to make a choice between two wxak 
suits, a sequence should be selected in preference to a 
tenace, although the latter may contain higher cards. It 
will generally be advisable to lead a suit which permits of 
the regular weak suit opening, rather than one which 
would be opened from the bottom. This less on account of 
the regularity than because the latter may afford reentry. 
For instance, it will often be better to lead from jack, 8, 6, 
or 10, 7, 2, than from ace, 9, 3 ; king, 7, 4, or queen, 6, 5. 
If the student has the principle of cooperation in mind he 
will realize that a reentry which is worthless to his own 
hand may be of the utmost value in enabling him to put 
his partner in, and the weaker his hand the greater will be 
the concern of the good player to give his partner all the 
benefit possible from it. 

The leader must have a very poor hand to necessitate 
an original opening lead from a weak suit."^ It is to be 



*Many players labor under the delusion (which has been fostered bv 
more than one writer) that the fact of a certain player being weak 
creates a probability of his partner being strong. Strength is a relative 
quantity, and the probabilities are that the average proportion will be 
maintained between any three players regardless of the holding of the 
fourth. Say South holds six cards of a suit. North's average is two 
and one-third, or seven in three dealSi. Now if South holds two of a suit, 
three and two-thirds is the average of each of the other players, ana 
although North's holding in the second case is increased over the former, 
his strength is relatively the same. The chance of North's holding honors 
which are not in South's hand is precisely the same whether, the latter 
has seven or only one card of tlie suit. 



The Original Lead. 73 

resorted to only when the ahernative is a four-card suit of 
the most futile description. The knowledge of a player's 
weakness will be taken advantage of by the adversaries 
to finesse against him and lead up to him. 

Greater latitude in the matter of weak and short suit 
leads is permissible to players of experience and ability, 
but the novice is very apt to get into difficulties when he 
departs from the regular long suit opening. 

Short suits, whilst offering less protection against 
adverse strength than weak ones, have the advantage of 
affording the possibility of ruffing the third round. In the 
matter of strengthening partner their utility is restricted 
to holdings of queen, jack, or 10 and another, and the first is 
to be avoided if possible. Two-card suits, headed by ace 
or king, should never be opened originally, both because of 
the danger of assisting the adversaries and because of the 
inadvisability of parting with a reentry before the deal has 
developed. 

The lead of a short suit headed by a low card, with a 
view to securing a rui¥, is not commendable. Partner is 
quite likely to misconstrue the lead as from a long suit, 
but upon its return the truth will be divulged and the lead- 
er's design become apparent to the adversaries, who will 
probably win the second round and lead trumps. 

The hands will be exceedingly few from which the 
leader can find no better opening than a short suit, 
although at later stages of the deal such a lead may be the 
best play. 

THE SIXGI.ETOX LEAD. 

The Singleton lead has been the subject of contrary 
opinions since the time of Hoyle, who recommended it 



74 The Original Lead. 

from certain hands, '^provided that you arc playing for the 
odd trick only.'' Mathews is less restrictive, but most 
modern authorities deprecate the use of a single card for 
the original lead. Probably none would dispute that con- 
siderable freedom in the matter of leading short suits and 
singletons is permissible after the opening of the deal. 

We quote the following from the "Advice to the 
Young Whist Player:" 

*'With three or four small trumps I should prefer lead- 
ing from a single card to a long, weak suit. This is con- 
trary to the usual practice, especially of the players of the 
Old School." (]\Iaxim 9.) 

''As I have ventured to recommend occasional devia- 
tions from what is considered as one of the most classic 
maxims, /. c, leading from single cards, without that 
strength in trumps hitherto judged indispensably necessary 
to justify it, I give the reasons that influence my opinion in 
favor of this practice with those generally alleged against 
it, leaving the reader to determine between them. Two 
objections are made, which, it cannot be denied, may and 
do happen. The first, that if your partner has the King of 
the suit guarded and the Ace behind it he loses it, which 
would not be the case if the lead came from the adversary. 
The second and most material is : that your partner, if he 
wins the trick, may lead out trumps on the supposition it 
is your strong suit, or the adversaries [may do so] from 
suspecting your intention. 

"On the contrary, the constant and certain advantages 
are the preservation of the tenace in the other two suits, 
which I suppose you to have, and the probable one of mak- 
ing your small trumps, which you could not otherwise do. 



The Original Lead. 75 

[South] has four small trumps, Ace, Queen, etc., of the 
second suit ; King, Knave, etc., of a third, and a single card 
of the fourth. In these sort of hands, I am of opinion that 
the chance of winning, by leading the single card, is much 
greater than of losing tricks." (Maxim 109.) 

Neither Hoyle nor Mathews lays down any restriction 
as to the size of the card led. Modern critics have re- 
marked that this is an important point. "Pembridge," an 
author of a liberal mind, and not apt to submit to arbitrary 
rules, remarks that "to succeed with a singleton, (i) your 
partner must win the first trick in the suit, (2) he must re- 
turn it at once, (3) on your next opening another unknown 
suit he must again win the trick ; and the odds against 
these combined events coming ofif are something consider- 
able At the same time^ just as there are fag- 
gots and faggots, so there are singletons and singletons, 
and a Queen or Knave is by no means such a villainous 
card as anything below a seven." 

If the single card is high enough to warn and to sup- 
port partner, the objection that it may unjustifiably kill 
an honor in his hand is much weakened. But substantial 
disadvantages, common to all original short suit leads, still 
remain. One will almost as certainly rufif the suit if he 
leaves it alone. The partner will be always in a state of 
uncertainty as to the nature of one's lead — queen, jack, 10, 
9 are all led from strong suits as well as from weak ones — 
and as to the proper play of third hand thereon (see p. 159). 
And a declaration of impotence is invariably injudicious 
and will often lead to actual loss of tricks, provided the op- 
ponents are on the alert to profit by the confession of 
weakness. 



76 The Original Lead. 

In the deal which follows, we have given South the 
precise cards indicated by Mathews, and we have dis- 
tributed the other hands with great regard to fairness and 
probability. It is abundantly obvious that if one holds 
king, jack, to four or more, and partner holds ace or 
queen or both (which will happen about 5 times out of 9), 
the suit may be opened with advantage to the leader. Also 
that if partner holds king — and, in most cases, if king 
guarded is behind the leader — he will benefit by opening 
from ace, queen, to four or more. Therefore we give 
partner nothing higher than the 10 in each of the two 
suits, and we place the king of the one suit and the queen 
of the other on the right of the leader. We further allow 
the opponents to preponderate in trump strength, as it is 
in such cases that to ruff with small trumps and to lie 
in wait with tenaces may be expected to prove the most 
profitable policy. We further make the singleton a 10, 
and give partner the king, thus divesting the lead of all 
ambiguity. 

DKAI, NO. 4. 

THE SINGI.ETON LEJAD. 

Tlie Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

4 A, 10. K, Q, 9, 5. 8, 7, 4, 2. J, 6, 3. 

V K, 7, 5, 3. 9, 6, 2. 10. A, Q, J, 8, 4, 

4, 10,-8, 5. K, 6, 2. A, Q, 7, 3. J, 9, 4. 

4 10, 8, 3, 2. Q, 9, 6. K, J, 5, 4. A, 7. 



TRUMPS, SPADES. LEADER SOUTH. 



A^ 



The Original Lead. 



77 



1 \2^ 



6^ 



10 ^f 



4^ 



COMMENT. 



Trick 1. — West knows that the lo led is the highest of a weak 
suit. Had it been his original opening he would have led Ace, then 
Jack. The fact that South holds nothing in the suit makes that 
line of play more expedient than otherwise. 

TricTc 2. — East knows that West has Queen of Hearts and at 
least two more left in hand. South discards from his weaker plain 
suit. North shows good judgment in not forcing South; to throw 
the lead back is possibly just what South is endeavoring to avoid.* 



10 4k 



5^ 



J* 



6cg) 



QV 



Q^ 



3* 



24^ 



Trick 3. — He leads his best Club, in conformity with South's 
first discard. With only three in suit, South's play would cer- 
tainly be to pass the lo; with five, he would put on Queen. Hold- 
ing four, his best play is, maybe, open to doubt. (See analysis 
of third-hand play on a supporting card, p. 159 et seq.) As the 
cards lie. West's winning with Jack makes no difference. East, 
seeing the Hearts to be with West, begins a call for trumps, which 
he was not justified in doing originally. 



10 c> 



A* 



70 



Q<> 



J* 



5* 



5f 



4« 



Trick 5. — South is now driven to do what he would have better 
done at first, lead from one of his tenaces. Knowing North has 
nothing in Clubs, he tries the small Diamond. 

*If North forces South at trick 2 and again when next he has an op- 
portunity' the score will be the same as in the overplay, and the singleton 
lead will then neither lose nor gain; but North has been purposely made 
to refrain from this course because the lead would thus be put back into 
South's hand, and the deal is intended to illustrate the effect of trying 
to put the lead elsewhere, so that South's tenaces may be led up to.' In 
this, as in many similar cases, the tactics prove ineffectual. 



78 



4t53 



The Original Lead. 
7 2c§j 9<S, 



cgjK 



Q* 



A4^ 



Tricfc 7. — North properly leads up the Club again. 



10 4^ 



20 



6^ 



Q* 



♦ 



10 



9* 



V* 



•7* 



Tricfc 9 — South, with Diamond King* guarded, again gets rid 
of the lead with his thirteenth Club. West plays 6 of trumps to 
try and help East, but his play makes no difference. 



7^ 



4^ 



11 



K* 



B^ 



30 



AO 



12 



6^ 



JO 



80 



8V 



13 



90 



KO 



East and West, eight. 
North and South, five. 



Tricl:s 10 to 13. — East clears the trumps, and puts in West 
with the Diamond. 



OVERPLAY. 



10 c& 



5c§) 



4cfc 



Kc& 



9cg) 



64, 



3* 



Qcg) 



Tlie Original Lead. 



79 



COMMENT. 



Trick 2. — East, seeing nothing to lead trumps for and no long 
suit, decides to return the Club through South, up to North's 
probable weakness. 



8cSb 



10 



J* 



2c?) 



70 



QO 



A4> 



4^ 



Trick 4. — South prefers opening his second strong suit to 
leading a thirteenth card so early in hand. 



K^ 



2f 



JV 



9¥ 



AO 



60 



10^ 



JC> 



Trick 5. — West's plain suit (if any) must be Hearts. South's 

weakness not having been advertised. West properly takes the 
finesse. 

Trick 6.— The "finesse obligatory" by South. 





3^ 


AV 


7 


24^ 


5^ 


Q¥ 


9 




4* 



30 



2(y 



34^ 



90 



K4 



A4i 



6^:? 



j^ 



10 



5 4^ 



7* 



Trick 9. — West has lost his reentry in Diamonds, and has no 
good reasons for leading trumps. He rightly goes on with his 
strong suit. 



So 



The Original Lead. 



7'/"/('A' 10. — Tlio thirtootith Club will now probably be of use. 
It is, in fact, as good as a lead of trumps. 



4^ 



VV 



11 



50 



Q4> 



10 (^i 



64^ 



12 



7* 



K* 



8^:? 



80 



13 



9* 



84^ 



East nnd West, seven. 
North nnd South, six. 



The student should never leave an overplayed hand without 
examining ichf/ the difference occurs. In this case, it is directly 
due to South's declining to lay bare his weakness in Hearts. East, 
consequently, has no proof of his partner's strength in that suit, 
does not lead the trump, and South actually makes two losing 
trumps instead of one. Observe that the counsel to "lie in 
ambush" with a long suit may perhaps be better applicable to a 
short one. 



THE TRUMP LEAD FROM EXTRAORDIX.VRY STRENGTH. 

It may bo laid down, with the support of all the best 
authorities, that the original lead from a hand containing 
six or more trimips should be one of the latter, regardless 
of the accompanying cards. 

There has always been a difference of opinion among 
able players and writers in the matter of opening five- 
tnuiip hands. The two earhest authorities, Hoyle and 
Payne, express contrary views. The former advocates the 
lead from live trumps although the hand be otherwise 
weak, for the sake of giving partner position, or "tenace,'' 
as he terms it. The latter deprecates the lead on the 



The Original Lead. 8i 

ground that if you are weak in plain suits the adversaries 
will probably derive the greater benefit from your drawing 
trumps. Of the modern writers, Clay, ''Cavendish," Pem- 
bridge and Hamilton, like Hoyle, believe that a trump 
should invariably be led from a holding of five. On the 
other hand, a great number of expert players of the present 
day hold that considerable latitude is permissible to the 
advanced player in this matter, and they are supported in 
that opinion by two of the most talented player-authors 
living — one on either side of the Atlantic. General Dray- 
son, whose conservatism no one will call into question, ex- 
presses himself as follows : "It has been recommended by 
some writers upon Whist that you should always lead a 
trump if you hold five ; with this recommendation I can not 
agree. If you hold six it would almost always be right to 
lead one, but with five it is a more doubtful proceeding." 
Milton C. Work, one of the most successful players Amer- 
ica has ever produced, says : "He (the player) must con- 
sider the contents of his entire hand, judge from the thir- 
teen cards, as best he can, of the probabilities of the situa- 
tion and play accordingly." 

Duplicate Whist, which has cast the searchlight of 
comparative investigation upon many a dubious question 
of strategy, is responsible for the existence of a very 
strong sentiment in favor of the exercise of individual judg- 
ment and the abolition of arbitrary rules in this as in many 
other phases of the game. 

For the beginner, the most advisable practice, no 
doubt, is to adhere to the invariable trump opening from 
five until he has acquired a sufficient skill to warrant a 
reliance upon his powers of discrimination. There must 



82 The Original Lead. 

be occasions when a palpable loss will result, but he may 
be sure that the errors of an immature judgment would be 
much more costly. Average ability fully justifies a player 
in using his discretion in the matter. Holding an estab- 
lished suit and five trumps, the lead should be unquestion- 
ably from the latter, although they may be all small. 

Example— C^Z,'],(i,Z,2. ^A,K,0,io,4. eg) 5- 9.2. 

From a hand containing a suit within one round of 
establishment the lead should be a trump unless they are 
extremely small, when prudence would suggest broaching 
the strong suit first. 

Exa7nple.—C^Q,],9,T,2. ^ A, O, J, 10,4. cJ^Q- io.4- 

From such a holding the original opening should be a 
trump. The unevenness of the hand would point to a sim- 
ilar distribution elsewhere and the danger of the Hearts 
being rufTed upon the second round, if not upon the first. 
This would almost surely be followed by a force upon the 
hand and the probable destruction of its preponderant 
strength in trumps. When the hand contains a long suit 
which will require two or more rounds to establish, and is 
not supported by any reentries, the suit opening should be 
made unless the trumps are of a more than average 
strength. 

Example.— Qiio,^,e,s,^' ^6. <^7A- 010,9,6,4,3. 

In this case the continuation of the trump lead for 
more than two rounds would be highly improbable, and the 
likelihood of a force in Clubs or Hearts is evident, so that 
the hand is practically equivalent to four trumps and weak 



The Original Lead. 83 

suits, a holding from which a trump lead could only be 
justified by partner's pronounced strength. The chances 
are in favor of partner holding one or more high cards of 
the long suit, and, if he is short in it, he may be able to 
further the venture by ruffing the adverse high cards, and 
every trick taken in that way is apt to be one gained. 

From five average trumps and three weak suits the 
original lead should 1)e a trump, unless a good supporting 
card alternative is available. 

Example.— C^0,\o,(^,%,\. <v?9,2. c§d 9,7.3- 6,4,3- 

A short lead from such a hand as this would probably 
be opening to the strength of one of the adversaries and 
might subject the leader's partner to the necessity of play- 
ing high in a suit which he will be called upon to defend 
single handed, and perhaps to part with a card upon which 
he is depending for reentry. If, however, the Clubs in the 
last example were in sequence, with a supporting card at 
the head, as Queen, Jack, 4, or Jack, 10, 3, the suit might 
be opened without danger of impairing its efficiency in the 
hand of the leader and perhaps with considerable advan- 
tage. When the trump suit is exceptionally strong, that is, 
containing two honors and the 10 or better, it will almost 
always prove profitable to broach it. In such a case the 
suit is so strong that the trick-taking capacity of it is of 
prime importance and the risk of allowing adversaries to 
make small trumps should not be incurred. Moreover, the 
leader is in a position to stop the trump extraction if neces- 
sary. 



84 The Original Lead. 

THE TRU.MP LEAD FRCm A\ERAGE STRENGTH. 

Four trumps may properly be termed average 
strength. A holding in excess of that number is generally 
overwhelmingly strong and any fewer are weak. Four- 
trump hands require the most careful treatment. Under 
normal conditions they hold the balance of power and the 
result of the deal is apt to turn upon their management, but 
their strength rests upon so precarious a foundation that 
it is easily subverted. The strongest aU-round hand at 
the table may be rendered weaker than another by a single 
force. It follows, then, that with four trumps the tendency 
should be toward a forward game in order to minimize 
the danger of the hand being weakened before its trump 
strength has been made effective. 

From a combination of four trumps, a suit established 
and a reentry in another, the trump opening should almost 
always be made. 

Ex,—C^ 10,9,8,2. ^ A, K,Q, 10,4,2. c53A,9,5. <> None. 

Here, in case a Heart is led, the danger of the strong 
suit being ruffed and the hand being forced with a Diamond 
is imminent. 

Example. -C^Y.,(i.^,^. ^A,K,Q,io.4. c& A. <> 7,6,5- 
In this instance there is less likelihood of the Hearts 
being trumped upon the first round, but they probably 
will be upon the third unless abandoned, when the only 
reasonable continuation would be the trump. By opening 
that suit originally, the possibility of forcing a weak ad- 
verse hand with the strong suit is avoided, the reentry 
safeguarded and partner is informed that the leader is in 
a position to play an aggressive game. 



THe Original Lead. 85 

When the trumps include the quart or tierce major, 
two or three rounds should be taken at once regardless of 
the accompanying cards. The honors are too good to be 
used in ruffing. The trick-taking capacity of the suit must 
be utilized and the possibility of the opponents making 
small trumps minimized. It is difficult to conceive of a 
hand from which the trump lead would not be commend- 
able with such a holding. 

Example. -C^KJL,^,^. ^ J. 9, 8,7- c$)9,7,6. 10,2. 

In conformity with the recommendation to lead trumps 
freely from a four-card holding, a speculative attack is often 
advisable, as in the three following examples. 

Example.— C^lL,(^,io A- ^ A,K,QJ,8,6,2. c5d4- 6. 

Here there is no reentry save in the strong suit, but 
there is a probability of exhausting the trumps before the 
deal can develop along adverse lines (otherwise the trump 
lead should not be made), with the result of a great game. 
The strong suit opening is inadvisable for reasons ex- 
plained elsewhere (vide p. 65 ; para. 2), but some players 
would lead one of the singletons. The objections against 
such a course are strong (vide The Sixgletox, p. 74). It 
need only be stated here that under ordinary conditions the 
prospect of gain is preponderatingly in favor of the trump 
opening. 

When the holding comprises four trumps and two 
strong suits it is usually profitable to broach the first. The 
fact of extreme weakness in one suit may appear to be a 
deterrent, but is in reality an argument in favor of the 
trump opening, on the ground that every effort should be 
made to save four trumps from being broken into. If they 



86 The Original Lead. 

are all small it is safer to open one of the strong suits, but, 
where, as in the following example, the command can be 
retained by the leader, who may stop the lead if he desires, 
the trump opening is advised. 

^x.— 4:iK,Q,io,4. ^A,K, io,6. c§)K,Q, 10,7. <}S. 

With high card strength in each suit, although two of 
them be numerically weak, a trump should be led from four 
as a rule. 

^■^•— 4^ Q. 10,4,2. ^A,K,io,6. cSdK,Q, 10. OQJ- 

Split Hands. — So far we have considered four trumps 
in combination with a strong or a long suit. A not infre- 
quent distribution is four trumps and three cards of every 
plain suit. Such holdings are termed ''Split Hands," and 
are of three kinds. 

1. Those in which a queen or higher card is held in 
each plain suit. 

^;r.— ^10, 9,6,4. ^Q, 10, 2. c§dK, 7,6. OQ. 8,3. 

The trump lead has long been recognized as the 
proper opening from such a holding. It is clear that if one 
hand holds a winning card in every suit and has more than 
the average number of trumps, the partners are likely to 
have the balance of power in the deal on their side and an 
aggressive game is advisable. Furthermore, each of the 
suits will be more advantageously led to than from, and the 
trump opening has the advantage of throwing the lead. 

2. Hands in which the plain suits have little or no 
high card strength. 

i^-^.— 4^ 10, 9, 6, 4. ^J, 10, 2. c?d8, 7, 6. <)io,2„2. 



The Original Lead. 87 

The practice of recent years has tended toward the ex- 
tension of the principle involved in the first example to 
"split" hands of every description, regardless of composi- 
tion. Pole and "Cavendish" indirectly recommend the 
lead when they advise adherence to the long suit opening 
in hands which contain no four-card suit but trumps. The 
play is supported upon the ground that the holder of such 
a hand as the preceding example can not hope to ruff any- 
thing. 

3. There is a class of ''split" hand in which an alterna- 
tive lead offers strong inducement, /. c, when one or more 
of the plain suits include good supporting cards. (Vide 
Deal 13, Tr. i, p. 169.) 

^jt:.— 4^ 10, 9, 6, 4. 9?Q, J, 8. c?d8, 7,6. Oio,3,2. 

The lead of the Heart Queen might be of the utmost 
assistance to partner, and could hardly injure the leader 
under any circumstances. The defensive and tentative 
leads from "split" hands may be unqualifiedly recom- 
mended. In the case of the supporting lead there seems to 
be a question, but believing that the benefits from the plain 
suit opening in such hands as the last example will be off- 
set by the advantage accruing from uniformity of practice, 
the authors advise the invariable lead of trumps from a 
''split" hand as an original opening, and this has received 
the endorsement of many of the best living players. 



88 



The Original Lead. 



DKAI. NO. 5. 
Lead from Split Hand. Refusing to Finesse. 
TKe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 



♦ A. 

V 9, 8, 4, 3. 
*K,J,9,4,3,2, 
4 10, 6. 



K, 5,3. 
A, Q, 10,5. 
10, 6, 5. 

8, 7, 4. 



10, 9, 4, 2. 
K, 6, 2. 
A, Q. 
A, Q, J, 5. 



Q, J, 8, 7, 6. 

J, 7. 

8,7. 

K, 9, 3, 2. 



TRUMP. HEART 



LEADER EAST. 



3^ 



4^:? 



J^ 



5¥ 



7¥ 



A^ 



2^ 



6<;5' 



COMMENT. 



Trick I. — East makes the regular opening from a split hand. 

Trick 2. — It is useless for East to finesse, since the King can- 
not be in North's hand. The Heart returned by West must be 
his last trump, the lower ones being all accounted for, and North 
having turned up the 8. 



8(^ 



eO 



76h 



QV 



20 



40 



K^ 



A4 



Trick 3. — East, therefore, gets rid of the lead, drawing two 
trumps for one. 



100 



A4i 



KO 



TO 



6* 



3^ 



Q^ 



24^ 



The Original Lead. 



89 



Trick 6. — North, playing Spade Ace. second in hand on the 
small card led, in an ordinary situation indicates no more of the 
suit. 



8* 



24» 



Ac?, 



5<5> 



3<> 



3,5, 



J^ 



80 



Trick 7. — Obser^'c that it would be clearly bad play for South 
to finesse the Queen of Clubs. He knows North to hold the 9 of 
trumps (if East had had it, he would have led it from Ace, Queen, 
ID, 9. See Table of Leads, p. 99) and five Clubs. If South wins with 
Queen, then Ace of Clubs, he can only eventually lead losing Dia- 
mond or losing Spade; and North will at most make the losing 
trump. But if North is strong enough in Clubs to win the Queen 
and force the best trump. North and South will win all the other 
tricks. The possible gain by the finesse is quite out of propor- 
tion to what it may lose. Under ordinary conditions the finesse 
would be taken. 

Trick 8. — South makes sure of his Jack of Diamonds before 
giving back the Club. 



KcSb 



J* 



•7^ 



10 



Tricks 9 to 13.— It falls out as South had hoped. 



10c?3 



^4^ 



9^ 



J* 



11 



10^ 



Q^ 



12 



K* 



4* 
4d|k 



94^ 



90 



54^ 



North and South nine. 
East and West four. 



10 4i 



90 The Original Lead. 

THE TRUMP LEAD FROM WEAKNESS. 

In latter-day practice the lead from weak trumps as an 
original opening is much more frequently made than it was 
formerly. IMany strong players will open with a trump 
any hand which would be greatly enhanced in value by 
their extraction. They defend the play with the argument 
that when it finds partner weak, the disadvantage is fre- 
quently more than compensated for by the deterrent effect 
of the lead upon the adversaries, who, although preponder- 
atingly strong, may be induced to refrain from continuing 
the trump. There is a great deal of truth at the bottom of 
the contention, for the moral influence of a trump attack 
is unquestionably strong, but the consideration must not 
be allowed to influence a trump lead, which would be un- 
justifiable on other grounds. 

When extraordinary strength is held in each of the 
plain suits, an original trump lead is permissible from weak- 
ness. If the trumps are small the lead should seldom be 
made without commanding strength in every lay suit. 
With the certainty of two rounds, as when holding ace and 
king, a little greater latitude may be exercised. From the 
following hands the trump would be the correct opening. 

^■^.—4^10,8,7. ^A,K, 10. c&A,Q,J,4. OA,7>6. 
4^8. ^A,K,Q,9,8. c2)A,K. OA,KJ,9,6. 
4^A,K,6. 97A,Q,io. c&K,QJ,5. <>KJ,9. 



THe Card to I^ead. 



THE CARD TO LEAD. 



ACE LEADS. 

Acc, Qmen, Jack, etc., in plain suits and trumps. This 
is the only combination of four cards from which the ace 
is led. When the suit consists of but four cards the ace is 
followed by the queen; when of more, by the jack, to in- 
struct partner to unblock, if necessary. If the sequence 
includes the lo, it should follow the ace (in order to 
declare queen and jack), without regard to number, and 
even though the 9 also is held. 

Ace (zvithout King) in any combination of Hvc or more 
plain suits. In the illustrative deals the old-established 
lead of the ace has been generally adhered to, but it is 
admitted that a suit had better sometimes be opened with 
a small card, especially when the ace is needed for reentry 
and the hand is strong in trumps. 

During the past decade the small card, as a regular 
lead from ace and four, has been adopted by many 
players, including several of the best. In 1894, Mr. W. H. 
Whitfeld subjected the proposition to an exhaustive mathe- 
matical analysis. The result of his calculations was pub- 
lished in a series of ten articles, which appeared in the Lon- 
don Field. The examination first deals with the direct re- 

(93) 



94 The Card to Lead. 

suit of the lead of the ace (in the two first tricks of the 
suit) as compared with that of the small card, and shows 
a balance of 37 tricks in i.ooo in favor of the former. As 
to the command upon the third round, }^Ir. AMiitfeld finds 
40 positions favorable to the lead of small, and 55 to that 
of ace, and regards one set as very nearly balancing the 
other. 

Briefly stated, the sources of indirect loss or gain, de- 
pending upon the play of other suits, and especially on 
that of trumps, are : 

1. The suit may be discarded from, so that, although 
each player had originally two at least, the ace may be 
trumped second round. Analysis shows 10 tricks in favor 
of ace lead. 

2. If partner has only two of the stiit he can not return 
it if ace be led first. Hence the leader could not give him 
an immediate ruff, and the chances of establishing and 
bringing in the suit would be affected. Analysis shows 18 
tricks in favor of lead of small. 

3. In the matter of partner's chance of blocking the 
suit, analysis shows 2 tricks in favor of the lead of small. 

4. Partner may be able to win the first trick and lead 
trumps ; a consideration of special importance when an 
adversary can rtiff the second round. Analysis shows 14 
tricks in favor of the lead of small. 

5. There is danger in at once giving up the command 
if an adversary is particularly strong in the suit. (Table of 
Probabihties Xo. 4, p. 388. indicates that an opponent v.'ill 
hold five or more 128 times in i.ooo.) Analysis shows 20 
tricks in favor of the lead of small. 

The results of the different calculations give 37—10 



The Card to Lead. 95 

tricks in favor of the lead of the ace as against 18+2 
+ 14+20 in favor of that of a smaU card, or a balance of 7 
tricks in 1,000 deals in favor of the low lead. 

This advantage is so shght that the authors have not 
considered themselves justified in making the change in a 
book intended primarily for students, especially as it is 
expected that the player will lead away from the ace when 
the conditions are favorable to the departure. 

KING LEADS. 

Ace, King, Queen, etc.; Ace, King, etc.; King, Queen, 
etc., in plain suits. The lead of king indicates the posses- 
sion of ace or queen, or both. In the first combination 
follow the king with queen. Holding tierce to king, four 
in suit, the older continuation w^as the jack. Many play- 
ers now follow with the small card. The authors are 
divided in opinion as to the merits of this innovation. 
Holding quart to king, continue with 10. 

In trumps, unless holding three honors or 10 with 
king, queen, a small card is led from any of the king com- 
binations of less than seven in suit. 

The desirability of giving the fullest information pos- 
sible and at once, in trumps, prompts a divergence from 
the plain suit leads. The lowest of the sequence of honors 
is led. It will be noticed that in this and similar leads, whilst 
the partner has precise information, the adversaries can 
not tell in which of the opposing hands the higher cards lie. 
Holding ace, king, jack and others in trumps, it will often 
be well to lead the king and change the suit for the pur- 
pose of securing the finesse on the return, especially when 
the queen is turned on the right. 



96 The Card to Lead. 

The lead of a low card from king, queen and two 
cards smaller than the 10 of a four-card plain suit has con- 
siderable approval among good players, and appears to be 
sound. Whilst the orthodox lead has been adhered to in 
this book, it is deemed advisable to make a brief statement 
of the arguments in favor of the innovation. 

When the leader has but four in suit an adversary will 
hold an equal or greater number 633 times in a thousand, 
and is then practically sure to be left with winning cards 
after the king and queen have been played. Partner will 
hold ace or jack about four times in nine ; he will hold both 
about once in nine. There are other distributions and 
conditions in which he may take the trick or force the play 
of the master card, securing the command on the third 
round to the original leader. When partner holds ace or 
jack, and one, additional advantage attaches to the lead of 
small. On the other hand, when he has no high card and 
the first round fails to bring out the ace, both king and 
queen may be shut out. 

When the 10 accompanies the king and queen, the 
suit should be opened regularly. The play of the king, 
if the ace be adverse, will leave the leader with the major 
tenace, from which he may finesse on the return, retaining 
the command. 

QUEEN LEADS. 

Queen, Jack, 10, etc., in all suits. From a holding of 
four, follow with jack, otherwise with 10. (Compare lead 
with ace, queen, jack, etc.) If 9 also be held it should be 
played after the queen, even though the sequence is ex- 
tended by the 8. 



The Card to Lead. 97 

JACK LEADS. 

King, Queen, Jack, and tzvo or more. In all suits of five 
or more, the jack is led even though the 10 be held in addi- 
tion. Follow jack with king to avoid ambiguity, since the 
jack may be led as the top of a short suit sequence. 

In trumps, jack is led from jack, 10, 9, etc., to give 
partner a finesse. 

10 LEADS. 

King, Jack, 10, etc., without 9, in all suits. If 10 wins, 
partner has queen, and perhaps ace also. Follow with 
small card. The object of the lead is to make sure of forc- 
ing either ace or queen if adverse, and of securing com- 
mand on the third round. 

Since partner will hold ace or queen, or 9, five times 
in seven, (in which case the lead of 10 is unneces- 
sary,) some good players lead a small card from this com- 
bination, particularly in trumps. 

9 LEADS. 

Ace, Queen, 10, p; Ace, Jack, 10, p; King, Jack, 10, p, 
etc., in all suits. In the last combination, irrespective of 
number, and (for the sake of information) even if the 8 is 
also held. In the two first cases, with more than four in 
suit, the ace would be led in plain suits, but not in trumps 
from fewer than seven. 

Some players lead 10 from the third combination, but 
the play conflicts with unblocking tactics. If partner 
holds queen, he should play it on the 9, which he would 

not do on the 10. 

7 



98 The Card to Lead. 

In all other suits of four or more lead the lowest. 
This section should be studied in connection with that on 
Unblocking. A knowledge of the proper third-hand play- 
to the various leads will thus be acquired simultaneously 
with the reasons, in many cases, for the latter. 

The top card is led in plain suits and trumps from 
fewer than four with the exceptions noted elsewhere. 

LEADS TO THE TURNED TRUMP. 

The lead in trumps may be modified by the turned 
card. Obviously from ace, queen, jack, etc., a small card 
is led if partner has turned the king or lo; from king, 
jack, 10, 9, etc., small is led if partner has turned ace, 
queen, or 8, and so with other holdings. 

With ace, queen, lo, etc., and jack turned to the 
right, lead queen. If it forces the king, tenace is held 
over the jack. With ace, jack, lo, 9 and queen turned 
on left, lead ace, then jack, in order to bring down the 
queen to the possible king in partner's hand. With 10 
turned on right, lead jack from king, jack, 9, etc., and 
queen from queen, jack, 9, etc. With 9 turned on right, 
lead jack from jack, 10, 8, etc. The purpose in each case 
is to ''beat the turn-up." 



The Card to Lead. 



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The Card to Lead. 



PLAY OF THE THIRD HAND ON PARTNER S ORIGINAL LEAD, 
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO UNBLOCKING. 

I. LEAD OF ACE. 

From the Table of Leads on page 99, it is seen that 
the inference from lead of ace is that the leader has either 
both queen, and jack, or else five originally in suit. Sup- 
pose, when North opens with the ace, that South holds 
queen, 10, 9, 3 ; it is clear that East and West hold four 
of the suit at most. If East follows suit to the ace. South 
should play, not the 3, but the 9. This precept is as old as 
Hoyle, who points out that if North should hold six. South 
may easily lose two tricks by not retaining the 3. The same 
is true if South holds queen, jack, 9, 3 ; or, in general, any 
four cards, the three highest of which are big enough to 
obstruct small cards in the leader's hand. If South has to 
follow suit on the next round, without having to head the 
trick, he must again hold up the 3, playing his highest 
card but one; otherwise he will have completed a signal 
for trumps (see page 231). The point is illustrated in the 
following deal : 

DEAL NO. 6. 



NORTH. 



UNBLOCKING. 
EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 K. A, 8, 5. 9, 4, 3, 2. 

V8, 6. A,K,10,7,3,2. Q, J, 4. 

4^ A, K, 9, 8. 10, 4, 3. 6, 5. 

^ A,9,8,5,3,2. 7. K, Q, J, 4. 



Q,J,10,7,6. 



9, 5. 



Q, J, 7, 2. 



10, 6. 



CLUBS DECLARED TRUMPS. 



LEADER NORTH. 



60 



The Card to Lead. 

A± 2^ 

' 10 



1 70 



JO 



QO 



lOI 



2 3cS> 



5^ 



6<^ 



3 K V 



4^ 



9^ 



8^ 



J^ 



AV 



26h 



86h 



QV 



2¥ 



7* 



K4> 



5* 



4* 



North can count the Diamonds, since South must have been 
retaining the 4; he also knows that East, who trumped a doubtful 
Diamond, cannot be strong in trumps. It may be a question 
whether North should not have declined to overtrump West at the 
preceding trick, but he had no advantageous discard. 



Jcgj 



A* 3^ 

10* QcS> 



6c53 



3^ Q* 



KO 



K4i 



2^ 



A* 



Tricl's 10 to 13.— Whatever East leads, -North wins the rest of 
the tricks. 

North and South, eight; East and West, five. 

If South plays Diamond 4 at trick i, the deal will go the same 
way up to trick 11. which South will be forced to win. He must 
then lead a Spade, in which suit West takes two tricks. The result 
is then: North and South, six; East and West, seven. 



I02 Tlie Card to Lead. 

If third hand holds five or more cards, he plays 
smallest on an ace led, as he may be as long, or longer 
than, the leader. With three cards to the king, he plays 
his smallest on the first round ; but in his play to the sec- 
ond round he must be guided by the fall of the cards. 

Example. — North leads A ; East plays the 4 ; South 
(holding K, 7, 3) plays the 3; West plays the 2. At trick 
2, North leads the Q (declaring not more than four in suit); 
East plays the 5 ; South should play the 7. 

But if North had continued with the Jack on the sec- 
ond round (declaring Queen and at least two others), and 
East had followed suit, South would have played King on 
the Jack. The Jack is, in fact, chosen by North expressly 
with that end in view. 

And, if North had continued with the 10 after Ace 
(declaring Queen and Jack with or without others), South 
should have played King, whether or not East followed 
suit on the second round. (See infra, on lead of King, then 
10.) The subjoined deal is a case in point. 

DEAL NO. 7. 

UNBLOCKING. 
NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 



4^ A,Q,J,10, 
V 10, 9. 
4^ A, 3, 2. 

4 8, 6, 5. 





5. 

K, Q, 8, 7, 3. 
9, 6, 5. 
K, 9, 4, 3. 


K, 

A, 
K, 
Q, 


7, 3. 
6, 5. 

Q, 10, 4. 
J, 2. 


9, 8, 6, 4. 
J, 4, 2. 
J, 8, 7. 
A, 10, 7. 


CLUBS DECLARED TRUxMPS. 




LEADER NORTH. 



4* 



The Card to Lead. 
54i 6^ 



3^ 



K4i 



103 



5c2> 



2^ 



8cSb 



9^ 



3 


A^ 


Ac?> 


5 



44^ 



KV 



9cS. 



7(S> 



J* 



2cS> 



4 


6* 


K* 


3* 


6 39? 


Q* 





North, inferring from South's trump lead that the latter has 
still a small Spade, is not afraid to give the two trumps for one. 

Tricks 7 to 13.— South leads Spade 7, and North makes three 
more tricks in the suit. The adversaries make Diamond Ace and 
King, and one Heart. 

North and South, nine; East and West, four. 

Again, South holds Queen, 3, 2. North leads Ace, 
then 9. All follow suit to first round ; on the second round 
East plays the King. South should throw the Queen 
under the King, as his partner is marked with Jack, 10 and 
one other at least. 

Again, South holds Queen, 10, 8. North leads Ace; 
East plays the 9; South the 8; West the 2. North con- 
tinues with the 5 (showing that the 4 and 3 are adverse) ; 
East plays the King; South throws the Queen as before, 
since North must have the Jack, 7, 6. 



I04 The Card to Lead. 

In other positions, the fall may guide the third player 
to throw a high card on the second round. 

Example. — North leads the A ; East plays the lo ; South 
(holding 9, 3, 2) the 2 ; West the Q. At trick 2, North leads 
the 4 ; East plays the J. Now either East has the K single 
and West will renounce ; or the K will fall from West's hand, 
leaving North with the 8, 7, 6 and 5. South must therefore 
play the 9, retaining his 3. 

2. LEAD OF KING. 

On a king led, third hand, holding ace and jack 
only, should play ace and return the jack. If second hand 
trumps the king, however, the jack is the better play, as 
being less likely to confuse partner. With ace, jack and 
one other card (10 or lower), play lowest under the king, 
and ace on the small card next led, if second hand does not 
trump. With jack, 10, 9, and a small card, play the 
smallest under the king; the conditions are not the same 
as on a lead of ace. 

With ace and one small, third hand plays small on a 
lead of king. With ace and two small, a small card is 
played on first and second rounds on lead of king, followed 
by jack (declaring queen without the 10, four only in suit). 
But on king followed by 10, ace should be played on sec- 
ond round, even if second hand then renounces. If the 
leader has a small card, the other adversary cannot have 
had more than four originally. If the leader has no small 
card, third hand ought still to leave the third and fourth 
rounds clear. And, in general — 

Whenever the leader has entire command, except for 
the best card which, with only one small card, is held by 



The Card to Lead. 105 

third hand, the latter should play the best card, even if 
second hand has trumped the suit. 

The fall will sometimes direct third hand to get rid 
of a high card on the second round. 

Example. — South holds J, 10, 6, 5. North leads the 
K ; East plays the A ; South the 5 ; West the 4. Later on, 
West leads the 9 of the same suit ; North plays the Q ; Hast 
the 3. South plays, not the 6, but the 10. He cannot tell 
who has the 8 ; but, if adverse, it is single, and no harm is 
done. If, on the other hand, North has it, having led from 
five cards, South 's J and 10 would block, if he kept them 
both. 

3. LEAD OF JACK. 

With a partner to be depended upon, this card marks 
king, queen, and at least two more left in hand. Third 
player, with ace and one small card, (second hand having 
followed suit,) must play the ace. If either opponent has 
four cards, loss may ensue, but the risk should be run. 

With ace and two small cards, third hand plays the 
smallest on the jack, and ace on the king next led, if 
neither opponent has renounced. Should fourth hand 
trump the ace, and the lead be from five cards only, the 
command may be lost on the fourth round ; but the chance 
should be taken. 

With ace and three small cards, third hand passes the 
two first rounds, unless he desires the lead (e. g., so as to 
open trumps). 

4. LEAD OF QUEEN. 

Holding ace, king, and one small card, third hand 
should play king on the queen, and return the ace. If 
the lead be an exceptional one from queen, jack and one 



io6 



The Card to Lead. 



other, nothing is lost by so playing. Necessarily, how- 
ever, one must have absolute confidence that partner 
will not open the deal with a singleton queen, nor from 
queen and one other; if otherwise, one must submit to the 
loss that may ensue through blocking of the suit, should 
it turn out to be a long and strong one. The cooperation 
theory of modern Whist can only be based on mutual con- 
fidence. 

With king and one or more small, third hand plays 
small on the first round. With king, two small cards, and 
the queen forcing the ace, when partner regains the lead, 
play depends on the card with which he continues, as in the 
case of ace led. The king is not played second round on 
a follow of jack, (which declares only four in suit, without 
the 9). On a follow of 10, the king is played, unless second 
hand renounces. On a follow of 9 (declaring full com- 
mand), king is played, even if second hand has trumped or 
discarded on that round. 

It may be observed that if third hand holds ace, 9, 8, 
and one small card, and wins the first trick, he should re- 
turn not the small card, but the 9. Otherwise, loss may 
ensue. 



NORTH. EAST. 


SOUTH. WEST. 


4bQ,J,10,6,5. K. 


A, 9, 8, 3. 7, 4, 2. 


DIAMONDS TRUMP. 


LEADER NORTH. 



Q4 



24^ 



K^ 



A* 



10* 



4* 2 



40 



3* 



Trick 2. (If South plays carelessly:) 



The Card to Lead. 107 

Later on North gets out the trumps, and leads Spade 
Jack, after which South's 9 blocks the suit. 



5. LEAD OF 10 OR Q. 

With ace and queen only, third hand should play the 
ace and return queen. With ace, queen, and one small 
card, he should play queen on first round, and return ace 
— not to unblock, for that might be accomplished equally 
well by the play of small card first round and ace on the 
second round — but to inform the leader as early as possible 
of the estabhshment of the suit. If second hand trumps the 
10 or 9, however, the small card should be played. Second 
hand following suit, the play of queen, then ace, informs 
the leader that one small card exactly remains in hand. 

With ace, queen and two small cards, third hand 
plays smallest first round, and queen on the small card 
next led. 

For the sake of uniformity, follow the same course of 
play with king and jack on a 9 led, unless the lead is de- 
sired. 

With queen and one or more small cards, third hand 
should play smallest on a 10 led. If the 10 forces the ace, 
and the original leader continues with the king, it is un- 
sound for third hand to throw the queen, unless he can 
count the leader with more than four originally. The 9 
must be adverse (see Table of Leads, p. 99). The follow- 
ing deal, however, illustrates the contrary case, when 
queen must be played. 



io8 



The Card to Lead. 

DKAI, NO. 8. 
THe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4^ Q, J, 9, 6, 3. A, 8, 5. 10, 4, 2. K, 7. 

if K, J, 10, 7, 6, 3, 2. 9. Q, 5, 4. A, 8. 

*A. J, 10, 5, 4. Q, 3, 2. K, 9, 8,7,6. 

^ None. K, Q, J, 9, 5. A, 10, 8, 4. 7, 6, 3, 2. 



SPADES DECLARED TRUMPS. 



LEADER WEST. 



A6h 



6^ 



4cSb 



3* 



5^ 



2cg> 



10 4^ 



Trick 2. — North being liable to an immediate force in two suits, 
makes a dash for the trumps, more particularly as it is likely that 
the Hearts can be easily established. 



6^ 



K4, 



5t§3 7 i^ 



'A4i 20 



J^ 



3<5b 



24^ 



AO 



Trick 5. — East knows that South has Club Queen; the best 
chance is to switch to the Diamonds. 



9* 



10 V 



VcSb 



s^ 



A^ 



9^ 



4* 



4^ 



Tlie Card to Lead. 



09 



J* 



KV 



34 



50 



8^ 



90 



40 



Q^ 



TricJcs 10 to 13.— North's Hearts win all the rest. If South 
neglects to throw Heart Queen under the King, East and West 
must take two more tricks. 

On an original lead of 9, third hand, holding queen 
and one, two, or three small cards, should play the queen. 
There can only be one card (ace or king) against the 
leader, and it is important to show him that the command 
is complete when that one card has been forced. It follows 
that the 9, not the 10, is the best lead from king, jack, 
10, 9. 

Holding five or more cards to the queen, third hand, 
on a 9 led, retains the queen for his own benefit, should 
the lead be from four only. 

For additional illustrations of unblocking, vide Deals 
10, 30, 2y and 11. 



After I^eads. 



AFTER LEADS. 



CHANGING SUITS. 

The ordinary long suit opening is the first step in a 
definite course which should be adhered to until weighty 
reasons develop for a change of tactics. Players of mod- 
erate experience are too easily diverted from a plan. An 
original lead, made with the purpose of estabhshment or 
trump extraction in view, should be followed up consist- 
ently until it is clear that the effort is futile, or that a more 
favorable alternative is available. 

The opening trick of the deal having been held by the 
leader, or having fallen to his partner, the advisability of 
continuing the suit may be in question. Mr. Milton C. 
Work, an exceptionally sound authority, declares that any 
doubts should be decided by the continuance of the suit. 
Mr. Beverley W. Smith, who has few equals in the matter 
of practical knowledge of Whist tactics, believes that it is 
generally better to pursue the original lead, even at the 
risk of forcing a weak adverse hand, than to open another 
plain suit. (Vide Deal 2, Tr. 2, p. 52. Deal 9, Tr. 3. p. 115.) 
We concur in the foregoing opinions, noting the following 
principal deviations. 

A change to a trump lead, which is an essential factor 
in the scheme of establishment, is of course commendable 
when the conditions justify it. 
^ (113) 



1 14 After Leads. 

A player who is in possession of an unusually 
strong suit may open it in preference to returning his 
partner's lead from average strength, and the original 
leader should then hold his suit as auxiliary to the superior 
one, and employ its high cards to furnish reentry. 

£'^.— South leads^2; West plays^4; North^A; Hast^ 6. 

South 's suit did not contain Ace, King, nor King, 
Queen, nor King, Jack, 10. From the following hand. 
North is justified in continuing with his own strong suit. 
^, Jack, 8, 3. ^, Ace, 5, 3. c&, Ace, King, Queen, 10, 5. 
0, Ace, 10. 

When a player opens a suit with a low card, and his 
partner holds the trick with the 10, or a lower card, having 
no honors in the suit, the return of the lead is sure to be 
disadvantageous to the original opener. The honors must 
be divided between the first two players, and each must 
hold a tenace. (If this proposition is not patent to the 
reader he will improve his understanding by testing it 
with the aid of the Table of Plain Suit Leads and the rules 
for second hand play.) If the opener has the minor tenace, 
he will be at the mercy of the last player upon the return. 
If the original second hand has more than two cards and 
the opener holds the major tenace, he must give up the 
command and allow the adverse holding to become tenace 
over his queen. These considerations would induce a 
change of lead, unless the original third hand has but one 
remaining and is desirous to rufif the third round. If two 
players have a definite agreement to act in this wise, the 
return of the suit becomes a conventional and specific 
declaration of the situation. 



After Leads. 115 

When it is evident that both adversaries are void of 
the suit it should be stopped, otherwise the weak trump 
hand will have the advantage of rufiing and his partner the 
benefit of a free discard. If partner discards to the first 
trick without indicating a wish to have trumps led (vide 
The Discard), the suit should be continued, and so generally 
when his follow points to the conclusion that he had but 
one of the suit or is signalling. If a force would be detri- 
mental to his hand he should be trusted not to take it. If 
strong in trumps himself, every force the leader gets upon 
his partner's hand is likely to be a gain. 

When it is clear that so much of the suit is adverse, 
that the project of establishment is hopeless, it should be 
discontinued and retained for defense. 

Example. — South leads from <3> K, 9, 8, 4; West plays 
2 ; North J and East Q. A and 10 must be adversely held. 
When South gets in again he should lead from another suit. 

DEAL NO. 9. 
Using an Established Suit to Force an Opponent. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

4^ Q, 2. 10, 9, 7, 6. A, 8, 5, 3. K, J, 4. 

i$ A, J, 2. 9, 8, 3. 10, 7, 6. K, Q, 5, 4. 

4k A, Q, J, 10, 4, 2. 9, 8, 7. 6, 5, 3. K. 

4 A, Q. J, 10, 2. 9, 5, 4. K,8, 7,6,3. 

TRUMP, HEART 6. LEADER, WEST. 



ii6 



After Leads. 



QO 



A4^ 



3t 



20 



K* 



V* 



40 



3c?3 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — West's hand would tempt many players to make a 
speculative trump opening, but his paucity of Clubs should be 
a sufficient deterrent. 

TricK' 2. — North does not lead out the Diamond Ace to get 
a ruff, but keeps command of the adverse suit and proceeds to 
open the Clubs. The fall of the King shows that West can ruff 
next round. 



4^ 



Q4k 



5* 



8* 



©♦ 



AO 



50 



10 



Trick 3. — But that does not deter North from continuing the 



suit. 



5^ 



J* 



6cSb 



9<S> 



K^ 



2^ 



90 



JO 



Trick 5. — North knows South has the 6 of Clubs, and that 
it is probably his only card of the suit. But it is better to con- 
tinue than to lead the Queen of Spades. The lead of Queen from 
a short suit, unless accompanied by a Jack, is one of the worst 
possible. 

Trick 6. — West, after the double force, can do nothing but 
go on with the Diamond; North gets in his little trump. 



Q<^ 



After Leads. 
10* J^ 



3^ 



5^ 



1 1 



7 



7^ 



Trick 7. — North still steadfastly declines to lead Spades or 
trumps, 

Trick 8. — and wins with a second losing trump. 



K^ 



AV 



6^ 



3^ 



4 ^ 



44, 



10 



10^ 



8^ 



Trick 9. — The Ace, if led, will probably be more effective to 
injure the adversary or assist partner than if held in hand. 



J* 



Q* 



11 



8* 



2* 



9* 



70 



12 



A^i 



9^ 



Trick 11. — South's lead here is difficult. The regulation lead 
from Ace and small is of course the Ace, but general rules do not 
apply so late in hand. South knows North has two Spades. If 
one is the King, South's play does not matter; or again, if East 
has the King, it is bound to make, and South cannot lose any- 
thing by keeping the Ace till the second round. The lead of the 
losing trump would be futile, since, if East holds King and small 
Spade, he will lead small, and South dare not pass the trick, in 
view of the risk of West's winning and leading his thirteenth Dia- 
mond. So South plays in the hope of finding King of Spades on 
his left, and Queen with North, in which case, even if West 
should play in the King, South must still make his Ace or his 
trump. 



ii8 



After Leads. 





24^ 


K^ 


13 




7 <:y 



104 



North and South, nine. 
East and West, four. 



North's hand is from actual play; but, as a matter of fact, at 
trick 5 (after administering the one force) he led Ace, then Jack 
of trumps, whereupon West cleaned up the remainder and brought 
in three Diamonds. North, knowing South to hold a Club, felt 
justified in discarding both Spades, and brought in two Clubs. But 
even under these favorable circumstances, North and South only 
scored the odd trick. After allowing for the fortunate trick in 
the Spade suit, therefore, the loss of one trick still remains at- 
tributable to the over-confident trump lead. 

DISCONTINUING A WEAK SUIT. 

A weak or short suit opening should seldom be re- 
turned, unless with the object of forcing the leader of it. 
The efificacy of such a lead depends to a great extent upon 
its continuance from the original source, and when the 
cards are in sequence they may afford valuable support to 
the partner's hand if played through the stronger adver- 
sary. The lead of a weak suit raises the presumption that 
the opener has a poor hand, and that he desires to leave 
the direction of the game to his partner. The latter should 
therefore continue with his own strong suit or a trump, or 
lead a supporting card if that appears to be the best course. 



RETURNING PARTNERS SUIT. 

In returning his partner's suit, a player is influenced 
by the principle which requires the weaker hand to subor- 
dinate itself to the stronger. (It is hardly necessary to 
state that if his holding is superior to that of the opener, 
he should treat the suit as his own and play accordingly.) 



After Leads. 119 

In conformity with the method of estabhshment, the 
master card should be immediately returned, or the second 
best from second and third best. (Mde Deal 11. Tr. 6, p. 
161.) \Mth three or more remaining, after playing to the 
first trick, the lowest should be led ('consistently with the 
foregoing rule). Having no more than two, the higher 
should be returned. Originally the play was made only 
with a high card which might support partner, but it was 
soon extended for the purpose of affording information, 
and it is now a conventional rule to return the higher of 
anv two cards remaining in partner's suit. (A'ide Deal 12, 
Tr. 2, p. 164.) 

This method of returning the long suit opened by 
partner has the dual effect of strengthening and un- 
blocking. 

Example. — South leads ^ 2 from 9, 8, 6, 3, 2; -West 
plays ^ 4; North, ^ 10; East, ^ h.\ North, regaining the 
lead, returns Q, being second best from Q, J, 5 remaining, 
and forces out the adverse K, establishing the suit. On the 
third round he plays the J, even though the 9 be led, and 
retains the 5 with which to enter his partner. But suppose 
that North returns the 5 on the second round, he cannot 
fail to block the suit when it is continued, and unless his 
partner has other reentry will prevent his long card from 
making. 

RETURXIXG AX ADVERSARY'S LEAD. 

A player *will occasionally have his strong suit led up 
to by an opponent who is also strong in it. When the 
latter sits to the left, but seldom otherwise, the suit may 
be continued through him. Similarly a player who has no 
better alternative mav lead from a suit in which he is not 



I20 After Leads. 

strong, through strength on his left, or up to weakness on 
his right, declared or inferred. (Vide Deal ii, Tr. 9, p. 161.) 
An adverse suit may often be led for the purpose of 
permitting partner to rufif, and such a proceeding will 
sometimes result in securing the control after partner has 
trumped the high cards of the opponent. 

LEADING TO PARTNER'S INTACT STRENGTH. 

A player's strength in a particular suit may be re- 
vealed by inference before he has had an opportunity to 
open it. 

Example. — North opens with a trump; West takes the 
trick and leads the c^d J, proclaiming K and Q; South puts 
on the A and takes two rounds of trumps. The third round 
exhausts West, and East discards a Diamond, declaring 
strength in that suit. (Vide The Discard.) South can have 
no doubt as to the suit in which his partner's strength lies, 
provided, of course, that East's discard is not deceptive. 
Or, suppose that East has opened Hearts, and North, by 
discard, denotes weakness in Clubs. It is safe to infer 
that his strength lies in Diamonds. 

The lead to a partner's unopened strong suit is gov- 
erned by the same principles as the return of his lead from 
strength, and the method is the same. The best, or second 
best card from second and third best, should be led, regard- 
less of number. Having neither, the lowest card of a long 
suit and the highest from less than four is the correct lead. 
The last requirement applies to the weak suits headed by 
queen, which would ordinarily be broached with a low 
card, and to those headed by ace and king when partner's 
strength is unquestionably proclaimed. (Vide Deal 10, Tr. 
3, p. 121.) 



After Leads. 



\2t 



The following deal embodies the first example in 
Hoyle's Chapter VL, "Particular games to be played, 
by which you run the risk of losing one trick only, to gain 
three." 



DEJAI. NO. ID. 



Leading to Partner's Inferred Suit. Unblocking. 



THe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 J, 10. K, 9, 6, 5. 8, 7, 4, 2. A, Q, 3. 

^ 2. A, 9, 6, 5. K, Q, 8, 7. J, 10, 4, 3. 

^ K, J, 7, 6. 10, 3, 2. A, 8. Q, 9, 5, 4. 

^Q,8,7,6,5,2. A, 9. K, J, 3. 10,4. 



TRUMP, CLUB ACE. 



LEADER, WEST. 



2^ 



3V 



A^ 



7^ 



10 4i 

4^1 2 IsV 



Q^ 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — West opens the only plain suit in which he has 
numerical strength. The object of opening a suit of this nature is 
to ascertain what support in it can be given by partner. Remem- 
ber that in five cases out of seven partner will hold ace or king or 
queen, or two or all three of them. West has trump strength and 
reentry, but even if his Spades were small ones, the Heart would 
still be probably the best lead from the defensive point of view. 

Trick 2. — East's Spades are not strong enough to justify him 
in opening them in preference to returning West's suit. 



122 . After Leads. 

2 J^ 

4 I 3 I A 10 ^ 



K^ 



K^ 



6¥ 



Trick 3 — North's discard of the lo of Spades shows his hand 
to be mainly Diamonds and trumps. For South to lead out the 
best card of the adverse suit would be bad play; to force North 
would be worse. He must lead his King of Diamonds to strength- 
en North's hand and help him to keep his high cards. North's 
high discard is justification for a trump lead, but where the plain 
suit is precisely indicated, as in this case, harm can seldom result 
from the more conservative lead from it. 



4* 



6* 



A4, 



2c§j 



5cSb 



J* 



8* 



3cSb 



Tricks 5 and 6. — After North's second discard of a high Spade, 
South thinks that a trump lead can hardly fail to be profitable. He 
might first lead the Jack of Diamonds; if he does, he will plainly 
see North's suit to be established, and must next lead trump. But 
most players would lead the trump straight away. North makes 
the usual second-round trump finesse. 



K4» 



Q4 



9* 



10* 



10 



90 



2^ 



JO 



Trick 8. — East, dropping the Diamond g, has the lo or no 
more. If South throws the Jack he may lose a trick, but if he 
retains it he risks the loss of several, supposing North has the 
Diamonds established, and has no reentry in Spades. The Queen 
of trumps is in West's hand. If North had had it he would have 
made his holding clearer by leading it instead of the King. A small 



After Leads. 123 

Diamond next led, if South retains the Jack, will take the lead 
away from North and enable West to refuse to trump. If the 
Spades are adverse, North can at most then make his losing trump. 



Qc& 



8f 7^ 

5^ A4k 



10 



6^ 



30 44i 



Tricks 9 to 13. — The rest is plain sailing. East and West only- 
make the Queen of trumps. 

North and South, ten ; East and West, three. 

The rules for returning partner's long suit lead, and 
for leading to his declared strength, are framed with a view 
to giving him all the support possible and unblocking, 
whilst enabling him to count the outlying hands. 

THE NON-ORIGINAL TRUMP LEAD. 

The opening lead of the deal is controlled to a great 
extent by principles reducible to rule, but after the first 
trick, an accomphshed fact enters into the calculation, and 
as the game progresses each lead is influenced more and 
more by the exigencies of the previous play. 

A player in the lead may return his partner's suit, open 
or continue his own, lead through adverse strength, or up 
to adverse weakness ; open a weak or a short suit, or lead 
trumps. These plays may have for their object establish- 
ment with partner or with one's self; forcing of an adver- 
sary or of partner, or securing a force for one's self, and 
so on. Any intelligent action must be based upon a cal- 
culation of probabilities applied to the constantly changing 
conditions revealed by the fall of the cards. It follows that 



124 After Leads. 

rules are of secondary importance, and the chief rehance 
must be placed upon perception and inference for guidance. 

The varying relative strength of the opposing hands 
should be carefully marked ; indications of master cards 
and second best guarded in partner's hand noted (vide Deal 
2, Tr. 5. p. 52) ; proper deductions must be drawn from 
such plays as a refusal to ruff, an invitation to be forced, a 
second hand cover, etc. 

There is no more valuable Whist faculty (necessitating, 
as it does, a more than ordinary general knowledge of the 
game,) than the ability to recognize the exactly proper time 
for a trump attack. (Vide Deal 27, Tr. 5, p. 219.) As an 
after lead it may be made to prevent an impending ruff, or 
to interrupt the action of one, in answer to a call, for the 
protection of winning cards, or preliminary to bringing in 
an established suit. 

At an advanced stage of the deal the leads in trumps 
(and also in plain suits) may be modified to suit the occa- 
sion. If it is desirable to extract two immediate rounds 
the ace may be played from any number. High cards may 
be led from holdings which would ordinarily be opened 
low, and on the other hand a trump suit may be opened 
with the lowest of three when it is desired to obtain reentry 
by means of a high card in it. 

In response to a call from partner the ace should be 
led from any number, or the king, if partner has turned the 
ace, so that he may finesse, if he desires, on the second 
round. Under any other conditions the conventional lead 
is usually right. 



Inferences. 



INFERENCES. 



"Whist is a language and every card played an intel- 
ligible sentence." So said James Clay at a time when the 
language of the cards was less precise but more compre- 
hensive than it is to-day. 

Some inference of more or less importance may be 
drawn from every card that drops at the Whist table. The 
abiHty to make correct deductions from the fall is called 
''Whist perception,'' upon which, more than any other qual- 
ity, depends good play and correct judgment. It is within 
the power of any intelligent person to acquire, and with 
careful practice the habit will become almost mechanical, 
under ordinary conditions, leaving the mind free to engage 
in reasoning upon unusual situations. 

The inferences deducible from the opening leads of 
partner and adversaries are of the simplest form, and will 
naturally be the first to demand the attention of the stu- 
dent. A knowledge of the leads will enable one to instantly 
infer from a high card originally led, other high cards in 
the leader's hand. For instance, the lead of a king pro- 
claims the holding of ace or queen, or both, and if the king 
holds the trick, and is followed by the queen, the leader 
is marked with the ace to his partner. The jack led in- 
forms that the leader's hand contains king, queen and at 
least five cards. These are unmistakable announcements 

of fact, but unless one adopts the practice of making a dis- 

( 127 ) 



1 28 Inferences. 

tinct mental note of them at the time of occurrence, he is 
very unHkely to form a proper habit of drawing inferences. 
Negative inferences are of equal importance with those of 
a positive character. When a player opens with a low card 
the indication is that he does not hold a combination from 
which a high card should be led. A good method of ac- 
quiring familiarity with the leads is by a practice of which 
the following is an example : Take queen, 9, 2 from any 
suit and suppose the 6 to be led. What high cards may the 
leader hold? 

Knowing the conditions under which second hand will 
cover, one is in a position to make positive or negative 
deductions as to the character of his holding. So with 
third and fourth hands playing to win a trick, one may 
assume that neither has the card next below that played, 
and that the last player has no lower card which would win. 
We will suppose that third hand holds the following cards 
of a suit — ace, jack, 7. The 6 is led ; second hand plays 
the king, third covers with the ace, and the fourth player 
drops the 2. What can third hand gather from the fall 
of the cards? The leader has nothing lower than the 6, 
and at least three higher cards ; second hand has one at 
most of the suit remaining, and fourth hand must hold two 
of the following cards, 3, 4, and 5, and perhaps one more. 

With the same holding in case of third hand, suppose 
his partner to lead the 8, second hand to play the 6, third 
the ace and the last player the 2. The leader cannot have 
both king and queen, but must have one of those cards and 
9, 10 in order to hold three higher than the 8. Second 
hand, if the 6 be his lowest card, has either no more or one 
of the honors left. The other players infer from the play of 



Inferences. 129 

the ace that third hand has neither king nor queen, and the 
opponent who has not an honor credits his partner with 
one. These are what may be called particular inferences, 
requiring nothing more than close observation and ordi- 
nary reasoning, combined with an elementary knowledge 
of the game. General inferences usually demand a higher 
order of Whist ability and depend upon reasoning of an 
abstruse character, but the student who will conscien- 
tiously exercise his powers in the former class will find 
himself gradually acquiring a faculty for deduction in the 
second. 

A simple illustration of what we may term general 
inferences follows : 

West opens with the Heart Ace, on which North dis- 
cards the Club 9. 

South infers that his partner has four or five trumps. 
(The possibility of his not holding any is too remote to be 
taken into account.) W^ith fewer, he would be glad to 
make one in rufiling; with a greater number he could trump 
and lead. His discard indicates few Clubs, and he must 
have a great suit of Diamonds, the protection of which he 
will not risk even to ruff a sure adverse trick. South, when 
he gets in, will lead a trump regardless of the composition 
of his own hand. 

The following deal, which has been taken haphazard 
from the published reports of trophy matches, will furnish 
an illustration of the process and effect of drawing correct 
inferences. The student will derive a great deal of benefit 
from the examination of it if the diagram is reproduced 
with the cards and pains taken to thoroughly understand 
the text. Too much trouble cannot be taken over this fea- 

9 



130 



Inferences. 



ture of the game. Good Whist is possible only by the 
exercise of sound reasoning, which is absolutely dependent 
upon careful deductions from play. 



NORTH. 



TKe Hands. 

EAST. SODTH. 



WEST. 



4 10, 8, 6. Q, J, 9, 5. 

V Q, J, 9, 3. A, 10. 

*8, 6, 5. K. 

^ K, 6, 5. A,J,9,7,4,3. 



7, 4, 3, 2. 
K, 8. 

A, 9, 7, 4, 3. 
10. 2. 



A, K. 

7, 6, 5, 4, 2. 
Q, J, 10, 2. 

Q, 8. 



TRUMP, SPADE ACE. 



LEADER NORTH. 



3V 



2^ 



10^ 



K^ 



Inferences. — The Heart suit is presumably North's strongest. 
The King and 10 being eliminated, the only combinations demand- 
ing a high card lead which he could have held are Ace, Queen, 
Jack, etc., or Ace and four or more others. His opening denies 
both. East's play of 10 second hand must be the lowest of suit, 
unless from a sequence of Queen, Jack, 10. South denies the 
Queen when he plays the higher card. West cannot be commenc- 
ing a trump signal. 



9^ 



4^ 



A^ 



8V 



Inferences. — South's 8 cannot be the lowest of three. It 
must be the higher of two, or his last Heart. North does not 
strengthen the trick by playing the 9, so that card must be his 
lowest. He had four to start with, for had he opened a suit of 
fewer, the head of it would have been led, consequently he is 



Inferences. 



•31 



marked with the Queen and Jack, and as East did not hold those 
cards, the lo must have been the lowest of his original holding, 
which consisted of Ace and lo only. It follows that South can 
count West with the 7, 6 and 5, and although North enjoys the 
command, the suit is not established. 



50 



80 



A4 



20 



Inferences. — The lead of the Ace denies the King and reveals 
five or more in suit, or Ace, Queen, Jack, etc. The other hands 
have played their lowest, unless a call has been started. The fall of 
so high a card as the 8 from West indicates that he is short of 
Diamonds, or holds exceptionally high cards of the suit. 



KO 



QO 



3^ 



10 



Inferences. — East can read the 6 in North's hand, and the 
other players out of the suit, which is consequently established. 
North and West cannot be sure as to the position of the Jack. 



QV 



5<y 



54i 



7 4^ 



North leads the best Heart to which he knows that West can 
follow suit, and South need not trump if his hand would be dis- 
advantageously weakened by his doing so. East does not expect 
to be overtrumped or he would put in a higher card. For all he 
knows. South may have the 7, 6 or 5, and the probabilities are in 
favor of his holding one of those cards. 

Inferences.— South infers that his partner had little of value 
beside the Hearts in his hand. Since West is not signalling for 



132 



Inferences. 



trumps, although he must surmise that the Diamonds are estab- 
Hshed, it is probable that he is weak. 



5c5) 



24?) 



K(5b 



A^k 



Inferences. — East has but one Club. North cannot be com- 
mencing a trump signal because South can account for all the 
Clubs below the 5. He infers that East's is the strong trump 
hand, and continues the Clubs in the hope of forcing it. 



6c2j 



10 c?) 



JO 



3* 



Inferences. — By discarding the best Diamond, East proclaims 
entire control of the suit. South can mark West with the Queen 
and Jack of Clubs. 



8cg> 



Q« 



4<C> 



4* 



Inferences. — West can place the Heart Jack, a losing Dia- 
mond, and three trumps in North's hand; two winning Diamonds 
and three trumps in that of East, and two Clubs and three trumps 
with South. 

The best prospect seems to lie in leading the Club Queen, which 
will give his partner a chance to overtrump or discard. In the 
former event, East will lead back a winning Diamond, putting 
West in a similar position. 



Inferences. 



'33 



J* 



eo 



•7* 



70 



North knows that East can also ruff the Clubs and properly 
discards his losing Diamond rather than subject himself to the 
probability of being overtrumped, whilst there is a chance of 
making the winning Heart. 



7V 



J^ 



10 



9cg> 



J^ 



K^ 



Q^ 



11 



24^ 



9^ 



6¥ 



8 4^ 



12 



Q* 



A4i 



10 4^ 



13 



34^ 4^ 

East and West, nine ; North and South, four. 



9* 



Note. — This deal affords a good illustration of making the 
trumps separately. Note the play of East and West in the last 
five tricks, after the latter is able to place most of the outstanding 
cards. 



REENTRY CARDS. 



The bringing in of a long suit depends upon two fac- 
tors outside of strength in the suit itself ; these are trumps 
and cards in lateral suits, with which tricks may be taken 
and the lead regained. At the opening of a deal, in calcu- 
lating the prospect of making a suit, aces and guarded 
kings are the only cards which should be relied upon with 
confidence for reentry. The chances against a queen, 
although doubly guarded, making are too great to justify 
any action based upon the presumption that it will do so. 
For instance, the recommendation to lead trumps from 
four, when accompanied by an estabhshed suit and a 
reentry card, does not contemplate such an original lead 
when the only reentry is a queen. 

As the deal develops, reentries will be created by the 
play of higher cards, with the effect of constantly varying 
the relative value of the hands. 

Obviously a trump may afford reentry, and all the 
trumps held in excess of average strength may be de- 
pended upon for that purpose. A hand containing six 
trumps is sufficiently equipped for establishment tac- 
tics without the addition of a reentry card. Holding an 
estabhshed suit and five trumps, a player should not be 
deterred from leading the latter by the absence of plain suit 
reentries from his hand. 

(137) 



138 Reentry Cards.. 

The amount of reentry strength necessary to a hand 
will depend upon the high card strength of the long suit. 
One headed by a jack may require three rounds to estab- 
lish it, and should be supported by at least two reentries 
(allowing for the original lead), that is, either five trumps 
and a winning card in a plain suit, or four trumps and two 
plain suit winners. With a suit which can probably be es- 
tablished in two rounds, one reentry may bring in the long 
cards. 

Reentries, which are lacking in one player's hand, may 
be found in that of his partner (vide Deal 29, Overplay Tr. 
3, p. 236), and should be carefully looked for. A player 
holding such a card should try to ascertain if it can be of 
service in reentering his partner, and if so, to guard it and 
play it for the best advantage of the long suit on the other 
side of the table. 

Second hand should always be upon the qui vive to 
save reentries to his partner's hand, by putting up cards 
which may hold the trick. (Vide Deal 47, p. 364.) 

Example. — Bast holds Clubs established; South opens 
the Diamond suit ; West, believing that his partner is de- 
pending upon Ace or King of Diamonds for reentry, puts up 
the Queen at second hand, and on winning the trick, starts 
the trumps. After their extraction his partner is able to 
get in although West has no card of his suit. 

When the only chance of reentry lies in the suit which 
one is endeavoring to bring in, it may be necessary to 
finesse very deeply, and sometimes to refuse to take a 
certain trick, (See Critical Ending No. 2.) 

The hand which is deficient in reentries must be very 



Reentry Cards. 139 

careful not to impair any possible chance of regaining the 

lead. 

Example. — Trumps are out, and South holds four 
long cards of one suit, and jack and three small of another, 
which has not been opened. A third suit being led, South 
had better discard from his long cards rather than remove 
one of the guards from the jack, which may be the means 
of putting him in again. 

Since the possession and retention of reentries is of 
such importance, it follows that the calculating player will 
endeavor to force them prematurely from the hand of an 
adversary who is playing for a long suit. 

When it is evident that the possessor of the long suit 
is relying upon reentries in his partner's hand, every effort 
should be made to render them inoperative. 

The illustrative deals afford numerous examples of the 
appHcation of the foregoing principles. 



Play of Second Hand 
in Plain Suits. 



PLAY OF SECOND HAND IN 
PLAIN SUITS. 



Modern developments have affected the play of second 
hand greatly. The terse injunction of our grandfathers 
to ''play low" is no longer acceptable as a maxim. The 
number of the tricks that fall to the second player nowa- 
days, is probably twice as many as those secured by him 
fifty years ago. No other position at the table demands 
the exercise of so much skill and judgment, and at no other 
are so many tricks lost by bad play. 

The introduction of American Leads and the practice 
of leading supporting cards, have necessitated much modi- 
fication in second hand play. 

Whilst there are few definite rules for the conduct of 
the second player, the principles governing play in that 
position are clearly defined, and the student who masters 
them will find no difficulty in exercising his judgment with 
good effect. His action will be influenced by such consid- 
erations as the composition of his hand, partner's holding 
and requirements, the general situation and the stage of 
the deal, the advantage or otherwise of securing the lead, 
the character of the game practiced by the opponents, and 
the importance of retaining a reentry or saving one to 
partner. 

(143) 



144 Pl^-y of Second Hand in Plain Suits. 

The last player has the best chance of taking a trick 
opened with a small card, consequently second hand should 
leave it to him ordinarily, but there are notable exceptions, 
which are examined at length hereafter. 

With a holding from which, as leader, he would open 
high, second hand should play high, not, however, neces- 
sarily with the same card as he would lead, for in following 
suit he should always throw the lowest of a sequence unless 
signalling. 

Take the following examples, premising a low card to 
be led in each instance. 

Example. — Secondhand. A, K, 8, 7. Play K. 

A, 10, 8, 7, 5. Play A. 
K, 2,8,7. PlayQ. 
Q, J, 10, 4. Play 10. 

Holding ace and four small with strong trumps, sec- 
ond hand would play low^ just as he would lead low under 
the same conditions. 

Holding ace, queen, 10 — with or without others — of 
a suit opened with any lower card, the 10 should be played. 
Always supposing the leader to have an honor, the chances 
are even that his partner does not hold the remaining one. 
If not, the trick must fall to the 10, and the original second 
hand may be in the extremely advantageous position of 
lying tenace over the king-jack or king. Of course, if the 
holding is so long as to create a probability of the suit 
being trumped on the second round, the ace should be 
played at once on the same principle as it would be led 
under similar conditions. 

For similar reasons some play queen instead of 10 



Play of Second Hand in Plain Suits. 145 

when holding- four in suit (particularly when weak in 
trumps), so as not to give third hand the chance of taking 
the first round with the jack. 

The ace should almost always be put upon an honor 
led. To cover with a lower card is to finesse against part- 
ner, and a failure to cover will allow third hand to finesse. 
With any other honor higher than the one led, having 
fewer than four in suit, cover, as a rule. The play is com- 
mendable on the ground of trick-taking and of strength- 
ening partner. With king and two small cards, however, 
discretion must be exercised in following to a lead of queen. 
If the lead is from queen, jack, 10, etc., the cover is disad- 
vantageous, but it is the better play if the lead is short. 

To illustrate : take the following distributions, suppos- 
ing jack to be led in each case, either as a supporting card 
or from the head of a sequence. (Cases in which the 
fourth player holds the major tenace need not be con- 
sidered.) 

Example. — Second hand, K, 5, 2; third hand, A, Q, 7, 
4; fourth hand, 10, 8, 6. 

Failure to cover in this instance would result in the 
opponent's securing three tricks in the suit, for, of course, 
third hand would allow the leader to keep the trick and 
come through again. On the other hand, if the king is put 
in, forcing the play of ace, partner's 10 becomes a guarded 
second best. If the lead is from a sequence, or third hand 
holds the double tenace (ace, queen, 10), the situation is 
hopeless, but nothing can be lost by the cover. 

Example. — Second hand, K, 5, 2; third hand, Q, 8, 6; 

fourth hand, A, 10, 9, 4. 

10 



1 46 Play of Second Hand in Plain Suits. 

In this distribution, by covering, second hand strength- 
ens partner and leaves him with entire control of the suit. 
As the queen must be to his left, unless his partner has it, 
the original second hand can continue the lead up to the 
weak hand and make three tricks. Supposing, however, 
that second hand had failed to put up the king. The jack 
would have drawn the ace, leaving third hand with second 
best guarded. Transpose king and queen, or ace and queen, 
and w^e get results more or less favorable to the cover, 
indicating that the rule is applicable to the play of any 
honors in similar circumstances. Of course, the principle 
of making the weak hand contributory to the strong ap- 
plies conversely, so that with four or more in suit, including 
a single honor higher than that led, second hand should 
hold off and leave to his partner the trick, which it is an 
even chance that he can take. 

When the honor is accompanied by the 10, the rule 
for covering is extended to all suits, regardless of numer- 
ical strength, for no matter how adversely the cards may 
he, the 10 must be promoted to the second place. 

Example. — Second hand, K, 10, 7, 2; third hand, A, 
Q, 8, 6; fourth hand, 9, 4, 3. 

In the above illustration, second hand covering the 
jack, remains with the 10 guarded, and is assured of the 
third trick. If he plays low the jack is finessed, and the 
adversaries take three tricks. 

With two or more honors in sequence the second 
player should cover a low card, the single exception being 
that of queen-jack and small cards. One of the remaining 
honors must be to the left, and if with third hand, jack 



Play of Second Hand in Plain Snits. 147 

would be played upon a small card without avail. With 
only three in suit, however, the honor may be played (to 
strengthen partner or secure the lead) with little risk, for 
li both ace and king are adverse, one of the queen-jack se- 
quence must fall to a higher card. The practice is extended 
to 10-9, three in suit. (Vide Deal 13, Tr. i, p. 169.) 

With the above exception, the lowest of a sequence of 
honors should be played upon any lower card led. The 
application of this rule to the lead of an honor is rendered 
self-evident by the foregoing explanations. 

When' the suit is opened with a low card, the object of 
the cover is to hold the trick, or prevent it from going to 
third hand cheaply, and to promote the other card or cards 
of the sequence with a view to making a trick before the 
suit is ruffed. 

Example. — Second hand, K, Q, 5, 4; third hand, 9, 2; 
fourth hand, 8, 7, 3. 

The suit is opened with the 6, from ace, jack, 10, 6. If 
second hand omits to cover, the first trick falls to the 9, 
the ace takes the second, the original third hand is able to 
ruff the third, and the king and queen are shut out. 

When two honors are held, one being that next above, 
and the other that immediately below the card led, the 
combination is termed a fourchette. An imperfect four- 
chette consists of the card above and that next but one 
below that led. Holding either form of fourchette, second 
hand should cover any card which will afford the leader's 
partner a reasonable finesse. 

Example. — Second hand, Q, 10, 7, 2; third hand, K, 
9, 6; fourth hand, A, 5, 3. 



148 Play of Second Hand in Plain Suits. 

Example. — Second hand, Q, 9, 3; third hand, K, 10, 6; 
fourth hand, A, 8, 4, 2. 

In the first example, second hand holds a perfect, in the 
second, an imperfect fourchette to the jack. The advan- 
tage of covering is apparent, and the principle which gov- 
erns the rule must be patent to the student who has atten- 
tively read the preceding paragraphs. 

The play of singly guarded honors has been the sub- 
ject of diverse opinions, and no definite rules can be laid 
down for the guidance of the player. 

As far as trick-taking is concerned, it is of little im- 
portance whether or not the honor be played to the first 
round, but other considerations will materially affect the 
decision. 

As a rule, the ace should not be played from two in 
suit unless upon an honor, but, of course, if the lead is 
particularly desired, there would be no hesitation about 
putting it in. 

The play of king and one small presents a more diffi- 
cult question. Under present methods of opening suits, 
the chances are in favor of the king making, if put upon a 
small card in the first round, but the advantage thus gained 
in the matter of trick-taking is, perhaps, counterbalanced 
by the declaration of weakness involved in the play. It 
must be borne in mind that the second trick in an adver- 
sary's suit will generally be worth more than the first, and 
the third more than either. We would advise the student 
not to adopt any uniform practice, but to cover when the 
situation renders the lead desirable; otherwise to refrain 
from doing so. 



Play of Second Hand in Plain Suits. 149 

In the trump suit it is generally advisable to put up 
the king, and always so when that card was turned up, or 
when queen was turned on the left. With king, jack only, 
play the former generally in all suits (except, of course, in 
trumps, if queen was turned on the right); if the original 
leader finesses on the second round, so much the worse 
for him. 

Example. — Second hand, C^ K, Q, 10, 4; ^ A, Q, J, 
9, 8; c§3 9, 4; K, 3. 

With such a hand king should be played on a small 
Diamond led, in order to establish the Hearts without de- 
lay. The play would indicate trump strength and direct 
partner's action. If the low card was played and the trick 
fell to the fourth hand, he would almost surely open the 
Clubs. 

Example. — Second hand, ^ 10, 8, 7, 4; ^ 10, 9, 7, 4; 
c&J, 6, 2; OK, 3. 

In this case the lead would be a positive detriment, 
and might even prove more harmful than the loss of the 
king. 

The early writers were almost unanimous in the opin- 
ion that queen should never be played second hand when 
held with one other. We have seen that a supporting card, 
or a 10 or 9 led from strength, should be covered, but the 
modern practice of good players is hardly ever to put the 
queen upon a low card. In trumps the queen should be 
played if ace or king was turned on the right. 

The play of the singly guarded jack is of much less im- 
portance than that of the higher honors. It should always 
be put upon a 10 or 9, but not generally upon any lower 



150 Play of Second Hand in Plain Snits. 

card. As far as trick-taking is concerned, it is practically 
a matter of indifference whether a small card is covered by 
jack or not, a gain being probable only when the lead is 
from the major tenace, and the king, with two or more, lie 
with partner. On the other hand, the play of jack to the 
first trick is very likely to betray the utter defenselessness 
of the second hand, and enable the original leader to finesse 
deeply against him on the return of the suit. 

The rules and suggestions advanced in this chapter 
are susceptible of modification, in order to meet the pecu- 
liar conditions of varying systems, but if the student has 
thoroughly mastered the principles upon which they are 
based, he will have no difficulty in adjusting his game to 
altered circumstances. This flexibility of action must be 
derived from experience and a knowledge of the methods 
of adversaries. 

To illustrate : in the system of American Leads, the 9 
is led only from suits including ace, queen (or jack), 10 and 
9. Knowing the leader to be practicing those leads, second 
hand can cover the 9 from king and one other with abso- 
lute safety. And so, as a low card led in the same system is 
always the fourth best of the suit, the second hand can 
often read the holding sufficiently closely to take the trick 
with his second or third best card. Second hand should 
generally put up king singly guarded when playing after 
a leader who is known to lead low from suits of ace and 
four others. 

Some players use jack, 10, 9 exclusively as supporting 
cards. In case of 9, let us say, led by such a one, second 
hand would often do well to cover with ace from a two- 



Play of Second Hand in Plain Suits. 151 

card suit, and return the small one, with a view to giving 
his partner a finesse against the original leader. 

Second hand may effect a call for trumps in the usual 
manner, but in this position it is better to refrain from 
making the signal, unless the hand is sufficiently strong to 
cope with any development which may arise. On general 
principles, it is inadvisable to declare your strength at a 
time when the adversaries may be able to take immediate 
advantage of the information, but the objection rests on 
broader grounds. The most important general and partic- 
ular inferences may be drawn from the play of second 
hand. It is, however, the most difficult to read of any at 
the table and the most susceptible to misconstruction, 
hence the advisability of making it as simple and unequivo- 
cal as possible. 

The higher strategy of the game affords scope for 
brilliant play on the part of second hand, in situations 
where experience and familiarity with the principles of 
Whist must be the sole guides. Such are the occasions 
for judicious finesse, for unblocking to partner's revealed 
strength in a suit opened by an opponent ; defense against 
underplay and the rest. 

The character of second hand's holding will some- 
times give him an indication of that of the leader, and so 
enable him to husband his strength whilst playing for the 
trick. 

There are but three combinations in plain suits from 
which the 9 is led regularly, viz., ace, queen, 10, 9 ; ace, jack, 
ID, 9, and king, jack, 10, 9. Second hand — or any other 
player, for that matter — holding any two high cards, can 



152 Play of Second Hand in Plain Suits. 

tell precisely from what the leader Qpened, and regulate his 
play accordingly. 

Opportunities for making the low cover second hand 
will occur most frequently upon the lead of an 8, and the 
student is advised to memorize the table given below. 

The 8 may be led as the bottom card of ten combina- 
tions, and must always be the fourth best card of the suit. 
In four of these it is in sequence with the 10 and 9. In all 
these cases the leader has exactly three higher cards than 
the 8, and as there are but six higher, second hand having 
any three of them, may hold the trick by covering with the 
lowest. 

If second hand holds the 10, the lead of 8 must be 
from ace, queen, 9; ace, jack, 9; king, jack, 9, or queen, 
jack, 9. If the 10 be accompanied by only one or two small 
cards the correct play is to cover the 8. There are many 
positions in which this will save a high card in partner's 
hand and no position in which it can lose anything. Fourth 
hand should be careful not to read such a cover as a call 
for trumps. 

Second hand covers with 
Ex, — Leader plays 8 from lowest of 

A, Q, 10, 8. K, J, 9. 

A, Q, 9, 8. K, J, 10. 

A, J, 10, 8. K, Q, 9. 

A, J, 9, 8. K, Q, 10. 

A, 10, 9, 8. K, Q, J. 

K, J, 9, 8. A, Q, 10. 

K, 10, 9, 8. A, Q, J. 

Q, J, 9, 8. A, K, 10. 

Q, 10, 9, 8. A, K, J. 

J, 10, 9, 8. A, K, Q. 



Play of Second Hand in Plain Snits. 153 

With any four cards higher than a 7 led, second hand 
may similarly cover, for there are but seven better than 
that card, and the leader, if he has opened a four-card suit, 
must hold three of them. So with five higher than the 6, 
or six higher than the 5, second hand has a sure guide to 
play. 

When either of these cards is led from a suit of five 
or more, the leader must have at least three higher, but he 
may hold a greater number. 



THE FINESSE. 



The finesse proper is available to first, second and 
third hands, but occurs most frequently in the last posi- 
tion. 

The finesse by the leader is commonly styled "under- 
play." It involves both hands of the partnership, and is 
effected in this wise : 

Examples — West leads cJd 3 ; North plays 2 ; East J, 
and South, holding A, Q, 4 takes the trick. It is clear 
that East has neither K nor 10. The former is probably 
with West and North may have the latter. On the chance 
that such is the case, South continues the suit with the 4 
instead of the A, in the expectation that West, believing 
that card to be on his left, will hold up the K and allow the 
third best to make. 

This stratagem entails considerable risk, and should 
only be attempted under exceptional circumstances. A 
keen player will be apt to suspect the ruse and render it 
futile by putting in the King with the probable result of the 
Ace being trumped. The longer the holding of the under- 
player, the greater the risk of such consequence. The 
leader is sometimes induced to make a similar finesse in his 
own suit, when after the first round he remains with no 
reentry except for the master card of it. 

(157) 



158 The Finesse. 

Example. — South holds C^ Q, 7, 4. ^ A. ^ A, 10, 
9, 8, 6, 3. 7, 6, 4. He opens with eg) 3 ; West plays 4 ; 
North K; Bast 2. Three rounds of trumps follow, the 
third falling to East, who continues with a Heart, reentering 
South. There are four Clubs outstanding and the odds are in 
favor of one of the adversaries having a guarded honor, 
which, if South leads his A, will probably take the third 
round or force North, in either case precluding the possi- 
bility of bringing in the long Club. North has not the c?? 
Q, but may have the J, and West, if he holds the former 
with a small one, will pass the 6, under the impression that 
the A is behind him, when if North can lead the suit again, 
his partner will make all his cards of it. South risks the 
loss of one trick for the prospective gain of three. 

Second Hand may find occasion to finesse in an ad- 
versary's suit, or in his own when led through him. 

Example. — South opens with a low Club ; West, with 
A, Q, J, 6, 4, finesses the J, holding the A over the proba- 
ble K in the leader's hand. 

The Finesse by Trial is practicable in the second 
hand, when the first round of the right hand adversary's 
suit has left the position of but one honor in doubt, and the 
suit is continued by the original leader. 

Ex. — South leads (§5 3 ; West plays 5 ; North, Q; East 2. 

Again South leads 7, and West, holding Ace and 8, 
plays the latter on the chance that East has the Jack, which 
North has denied, and South the King. (Vide Deal 11, 
Tr. 9, p. 161.) 

A similar play, which, however, is not a finesse, be- 



The Finesse. 159 

cause it entails no risk of the trick falling to an intermediate 
card, is as follows : 

Ex. — South leads cJd 2 ; West plays 5 ; North, J ; East, Q. 

South again leads 4, West having Ace and 10, puts 
in the latter with the assurance of holding the trick, for 
North cannot have the King unless he has made a very in- 
judicious finesse upon the first round. 

Finessing an honor upon an honor is an error fre- 
quently committed by inexperienced players. The futility 
of the play is easily demonstrated. 

Example. — South leads c§) J ; West holds A, Q, 6, 4. 
He should play the A. The K must be v^ith North, or 
East, and West had better pass the trick, relying upon his 
partner's even chances of taking it, than cover with the 
Q, which can gain nothing under any circumstances. 

Even from ace, queen, 10, it can profit nothing to put 
the queen on jack. The best way of playing for two tricks 
in the suit is to cover with ace and lead queen. In trumps, 
and late in hand from all suits, holding ace, queen, 9, the 
queen may be played on jack, with a view to securing ten- 
ace over the 10. (Cf. Critical Ending No. i.) 

To the Third Hand there is but one finesse permis- 
sible in his partner's suit ; that is, the queen from the major 
tenace in suits of fewer than five. (For third hand play of 
the major tenace in trumps, vide p. 255.) 

Any supporting card (that is, any high card at the head 
of a weak suit) led should be finessed by third hand, unless 
he can cover and remain with strength sufBcient to obstruct 
the establishment by an adverse hand, provided that he is 



i6o The Finesse. 

not anxious to secure the lead for the purpose of opening 
trumps or forcing his partner. 

The following general rules may be accepted as apply- 
ing to ordinary situations : 

With but one honor in hand, or with the major, minor, 
or potential (ace, jack) tenace pass any court card led, and 
generally lo or 9. 

With any two honors in sequence, cover, unless the 
card led is in sequence with the honors held. 

If second hand covers a supporting card, third hand 
should not play higher, unless he can remain with second 
best, and having but one honor, other than the ace, he 
should not attempt to take the trick under such circum- 
stances. (It will often be wise to leave the trick with the 
right hand adversary rather than play the ace and abandon 
the suit to the other side.) 

An examination of the possible positions will reveal 
the philosophy of the foregoing maxims. 

It goes without saying that third hand must finesse 
against the previously revealed weakness of the last player. 
The play of a card other than the best is in such a situation, 
often of a compulsory nature, and cannot, properly speak- 
ing, be called a finesse, when there is no danger of the trick 
falling to the last player unless he rufTs it. 

Example. — Clubs distributed thus: North, A, J, 9, 6. 
East, 10, 5, 4. South, Q, 3. West, K, 8, 7, 2. West 
leads the 2 ; North plays 6 ; Hast, 10 ; South, Q. South 
returns 3 ; West follows with 7 ; North, knowing that East 
had no better than 10, plays the 9. 



The Finesse. 

DKAI^ NO. II. 



i6i 



Tenacc and Finesse. Unblocking- a possible Tenace 
in Partner's Hand. 



NORTH. 



THe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 J, 8, 2. K, Q, 6, 4. 

V 4. Q, G, 5. 

4k A, 10, 9, 4. K, 6, 5. 

^ J, 8, 7, 6, 5. A, 10, 3. 



A, 10, 7, 5. 9, 3. 

K, J, 9, 7, 3. A, 10, 8, 2. 

3. Q, J, 8, 7, 2. 

Q, 9, 2. K, 4. 



TRUMP, DIAMOND 2. 



].KADEIl, WEST. 



4c?. 



9cg) 



24k 



KcS, 



V* 



64k 



3c5b 



20 



COMMENT. 



Trtc/c 1.— West sets out to establish his Clubs, holding the 
Heart suit for reentry. 

I'riek 2. — East's strong suit being only King, Queen, to four 
(in which his best chance of two tricks is to lie quiet), he plays 
rightly to return at once his partner's lead. With weak trumps 
South ruffs the doubtful trick. 



4^ 



50 



2^ 



5^ 



40 



A^ 



3V 



90 



Trick 3. — South's suits are very similar to West's, and he 
opens on similar principles. North can hold no more of the suit, 
which South sees to be hopeless. Ace, Queen and 10 being all 
adverse. 
11 



l62 



The Finesse. 



TricJc 4. — It is imperative for East to obstruct the impending 
cross-ruff in Clubs and Hearts. 



60 



KO 



10 ♦ 



QO 



Ac?) 



Q* 



5cS> 



7^ 



Trick 6. — West continues the Clubs. Holding second and 
third best, he leads the higher, to make certain of forcing the 
command. 



?♦ 



J* 



8<^ 



30 



34i 8 



9^ 



&♦ 



K<Ji 



Trick 7. — North extracts the losing trump. South discards 
his Hearts, which his partner can never lead. West is now quite 
safe in discarding Hearts, but he must not blank the Ace. Ob- 
serve that he carefully refrains from discarding his worthless 
Spades, as he must on no account disclose his weakness therein 
to the strong adversaries. This point in discarding is too fre- 
quently overlooked. 

Trick 8. — North is now bound to look to his partner for some- 
thing in Spades. East's false card is an attempt to deceive South 
as to the position of the Queen. 



84i 



80 



9^ 



4* 



10^ 



10 



6^ 



10* 



JV 



Trick 9. — With the same purpose, he now proceeds to return 
the suit up to North's known weakness, either to give West a 
finesse, or to induce South to put up the Ace if he holds it. South 
knows, however, that Queen of Spades must be adverse, and that 
it is as likely as not to be in East's hand. He takes his best 



The Finesse. 



163 



chance of a good score by finessing the 10. West's weakness is 
now exposed. North's play in throwing the 8 of Spades under 
the 9 is very good. He knows South to hold Ace. and hopes that 
he may have the 7 also, in which case another lead from North's 
hand will secure both tricks for South, and will enable North to 
get rid of his losing Club. 

Tricks 10 to 13. — It falls out as North had hoped, and he and 
South win all the remaining tricks. 





2* 


Scgj 


11 


7* 


JO 


A^ 


13 



10cg> 



64^ 



J6h 



12 



Q^ 



A* 



Q<^ 



North and South, eight. 
East and West, five. 



KV 



Upon the return of his own suit, third player may use 
his judgment freely, subject to the conditions and prin- 
ciples set forth in an earlier chapter. (\lde Deal 12, Tr. 2, 
p. 164.) A finesse may be taken more freely when it is 
clear that the second best card does not lie single to the 
left. 

Example. — South leads 10 from c§5 K, J, 10, 3 ; 
West plays 5 ; North, A ; East, 4. North returns 8 ; East 
following with 6. Had West held Q singly guarded, he 
should have covered the 10. South should finesse the J. 
If Q falls he has control of the suit. 

Finessing is imperative when trumps are out, and the 
player on the right holds established cards, to which his 
partner cannot lead. It should never be practiced in the 



1 64 



The Finesse. 



reverse situation. In doubtful cases, a conservative course 
had better be followed. 

The beginner will probably find it difificult to repress 
the speculative tendency to attempt improbable coups. It 
is usually the chief fault of the novice, and one which he 
must eradicate if he is ever to attain to excellence in the 
game. 

DKAL NO. 12. 

Playing for Position. Finesse and Tenace. 
THe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



^ A, 10, 3, 2. K, 8, 5. 

if 10, 6, 5. K, 8, 4. 

4, K, 8. A, 9, 7, 3. 

4A, 10, 7,6. Q, 8, 5. 



Q, 7, 6. J, 9, 4. 

A, Q, 7, 2. J, 9, 3. 

10, 5, 4. Q, J, 6, 2. 
K, J, 2. 



9, 4, 3. 



TRUMP, CLUB 6. 



LEADER, NORTH. 



30 



©♦ 



KO 



50 



40 



70 



J* 



QO 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1, — North's Diamonds are somewhat stronger than his 
Spades, so he elects to open from that suit. South does not finesse 
on his partner's opening lead. By returning the Jack he gives the 
strong hand the option of the finesse on the second round. Had 
South been the original leader he would not have refrained from 
opening the Hearts on account of the major tenace; but, knowing 
that it is futile to attempt to bring in two suits, and the Hearts 
not being a suit he can open to advantage, he plays well to return 
the Diamonds. 



The Finesse. 



165 



Trick 2. — Observe North's finesse on the second round. If 
he plays Ace on Jack he may leave himself with both Queen and 9 
adverse; whereas, even if the finesse fails, his suit will be estab- 
lished. Moreover, if East gets the lead, he may start Spades or 
trumps, in both of which North will advantageously be led up to. 
Hence the finesse gains more if successful than it loses if un- 
successful. It is by such criteria that a finesse should generally 
be judged. 



J* 



34k 



* 



90 



80 



4c& 

10 4 



20 
8c5) 



2cg) 



4^ 



Q4k 



7cS> 



2^ 



5cSb 



Trick 5. — North uses his thirteenth Diamond to get rid of 
the lead and make the opponents open up a new suit, in prefer- 
ence to doing so at random himself. Those who advocate short- 
suit leads very frequently tell us that it is useless to establish a 
suit unless it can be brought in, omitting to observe that an es- 
tablished card is adapted to secure the same end as the lead of a 
supporting card, with less risk to the leader and greater embar- 
rassment to the opponents. South discards a Heart rather than 
part with one of the guards to his Queen of Spades. 

Trick 6. — West rightly returns his partner's lead of trump, but 
hesitates to take out a third round till he sees his way more 
clearly. Of a third round of trumps the original leader is usually 
the best judge. 



24i 



10 <j? 



J* 



5^ 



3^ 



K^ 



Q^ 



7V 



♦East's lead is open to question. He has nothing for which to ex- 
tract? trumpe and there is a suit adversely established. Had East been 
the eldest hand the trump opening would have been correct. 



1 66 



The Finesse. 



Trick 7. — West's strengthening Spade enables South to secure 
the Queen. West chooses the Spade on account of East's discard 
of Heart at trick 5, whereby South just misses getting led up to in 
Hearts. 

Trick 8. — South is now driven to the Hearts, rather than con- 
tinue Spades through declared weakness, or return the trump up 
to the original leader. 



5^ 



6^ 



9^ 



8V 



J^ 



10 



9cg) 



Q^ 



AV 



Trick 9. — For similar reasons, East returns the Heart. 

Tricks 10 to 13. — But South's best Heart forces the lead back 
into East's hand, and, however he plays, North must make both 
Ace and 10 of Spades. 



66^ 



34^ 



11 



A4k 



10* 



44^ 



10 4^ 



12 



Q^ 



8* 



9* 



A* 



13 



K4i 



'7^ 



North and South, seven. 
East and West, six. 



Deep finessing in trumps is allowable, and in plain 
suits when strong in trumps, or after their extraction. 
Under such conditions the risk of losing the high cards is 
obviously minimized. 

The Finesse Obligatory is a form of the play which 
will gain in a favorable position of the cards, whilst it will 
lose nothing if they lie otherwise. 



Tlie Finesse. 167 

Example. — North from cj) Q, 10, 7, 6, leads the 6; 
East plays the 4; South, K; West, 2. South returns 5; 
West follows with 3. North knows that the A must be 
with East, but he is uncertain as to the location of the J. 
If that card be also to his left, it matters not which of his 
high cards North plays, but should West hold the J, the 
finesse of the 10 will draw the A and leave North with the 
command. (Vide Deal 13 Tr. 4, p. 169.) 

HOLDING UP. 

The Hold Up, sometimes erroneously termed a finesse, 
consists in allowing a trick to go to the adversaries uncon- 
tested, whilst holding a card which could have taken it. The 
ruse may be practiced in any position at the table. The 
leader may hold up the master card of a suit in which he 
knows his partner has no winner, and play a losing card 
for the purpose of throwing the lead. A player may re- 
fuse to take a trick in his own or his adversary's suit, re- 
taining the command with a view to reentry in a later trick, 
or with the intention of blocking the suit. (A^ide Deal 13, 
Tr. 9, p. 169.) 

Example. — At the eleventh trick, trumps are out and 
each player has three Clubs. North leads the J ; East cover- 
ing with the Q. South, from A, 10, 5, plays the smallest and 
holds up the A as the best way of making two tricks. An 
examination of the possible positions of the remaining cards 
will satisfy the student that the play entails no chance of 
loss. 

Situations similar to the above are frequently over- 
looked in the course of play. 



1 68 The Finesse. 

Example. — West has c8) J> lo, 8, 3 ; North is devoid of 
the suit ; East holds 5,2, and South, A, 6. West has no 
reentry outside of his suit and the last trump is with East, 
the latter leads a Club. If South holds up the A and takes 
the next round, he prevents West from making his two 
long cards, for East will have no Club to lead when he next 
gets in. 

Third hand may have occasion to hold up in a trick 
which has been opened with a supporting card, and covered 
by second hand, or upon the return of his own suit, when 
the fall of the cards has indicated that the balance of 
strength is adverse. 

The most common method of holding up by fourth 
hand is termed the Bath Coup. (See Critical Endings 23, 

24, 34.) 

Example. — South leads cj? K ; West plays the 4 ; North 
the 3, and East, holding A, J and 6, puts in the small card, 
and remains with the major tenace against the leader. The 
latter may be induced to lead trumps on the supposition 
that his suit is established, consequently the ruse should 
never be practiced by a player who is not prepared to meet 
such a development. This stratagem should seldom be 
executed early in the deal. 

The Bath Coup and its modifications may be effec- 
tively played in trumps, in which the occasions for holding 
up are more frequent than in plain suits. 

The importance of securing the third round in trumps, 
which is generally the last, makes it advisable, as a rule, to 
hold up on the second trick, unless able to take the next 



The Finesse. 



169 



also. (Vide Deal 13, Tr. 2, p. 169; Deal 30, Tr. 4, p. 239; 
Deal 28, Trs. i et seq., p. 223.) 

The hold up is a species of tactics more, difficult even 
than the finesse. Failure is necessarily very marked, and 
when the putative winning card is trumped or discarded, 
nothing short of a forcible defense will reconcile an irate 
partner to the loss. 

Coups, in the nature of the strategy treated of in this 
chapter, depend chiefly upon correct card reading and 
counting, and they should be eschewed, or but seldom at- 
tempted by players who have not the fullest confidence in 
their ability in that direction. 

DKAI< NO. 13. 

F'inesse Obligatory. Hold-up. 



1 


THe Hands. 




NORTH. 


EAST. 




SOUTH. 


WEST. 


^ 9, 8, 4, 3. 


J, 7, 2. 




A, 10, 5. 


K, Q, 6. 


VA, 7, 4, 2. 


Q, 8, 3. 




10, 9, 6. 


K, J, 6. 


Jt' A, 7, 3. 


Q, J, 5. 




K, 8, 6, 4. 


10, 9, 2. 


♦ 9,8. 


Q, 10, 4, 


3. 


K, 7, 2. 


A, J, 6, 5. 



TRUMP, CLUB 5. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



A6h 



7* 



9* 1 



5cSb 



2<§> 



J* 



44, 



6(gj 



170 



THe Finesse. 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — South makes the trump opening from a "split hand," 
which is approved by the majority of good players, although some 
would lead the strengthening Heart. 

West covers with the 9 from a weak suit, because the card is 
more likely to be effective in this trick than any other (vide Second- 
hand Play. p. 143). 

Ti'ick 2. — South has no desire to continue the trump extrac- 
tion, nor does he wish for the lead, which would necessitate his 
broaching a short suit; therefore, he holds up the King and leaves 
the trick with East, making North last player on the next round. 
South can place the remaining trumps. West having played 9, 
then 2 remains with 10 only. North has the 3, East and West 
having denied it, and since he returned the 7, cannot hold the 
Queen, which must be in East's hand. East might false-card the 
Queen, but he expects the trick to fall to the King, and realizes 
that a knowledge of the position of the then best may be of im- 
portance to his partner. 



AO 



80 



20 



34 



&♦ 



QO 



KO 



100 



Trick 4. — The "finesse obligatory" (see p. 166) on the part of 



East. 



60 



3* 



74 



4=0 



J^ 



2¥ 



9^ 



3^ 



Trick 5. — South hopes his partner may rufif the third round of 
Diamonds. 



J^ 



3^ 



0.0 



8(§> 





4* 


10 cj, 


8 




K* 



Qcg) 



The Finesse. 



171 



Trick 7 — West plays to force the hand that led trumps. North 
discards Spade, here and at the next trick, not despairing, with 
aid from his partner, of doing something with the Hearts. 

Tricks 8 and 9. — South extracts both the adverse trumps be- 
fore returning his partner's lead. It is obvious that North's only 
chance of two tricks in Hearts is to hold up the Ace (vide Holding 
Up. p. 167), as he has no other reentry. 



4^ 



84^ 



5^;? 



Q<^ 



6* 



10 



J* 



10 V 



5 4^ 



Trick 10. — South allows the Jack to go up to his partner; the 
Ace is safe to make in any case (vide Second-Hand Play, p. 143). 



Q* 



9^ 



11 



A^i 



'7^ 



K^ 



A^ 



12 



8^ 



6¥ 



Tricks 11 to 13.— North can have neither King nor Queen of 
Spades, so South plays to find him with the best Heart. 



VV 



K4i 



24^ 



North and South, eight. 
East and West, five. 



10 4^ 



Discard. 



THE DISCARD. 



No feature of Whist tactics presents greater difficul- 
ties than the discard. Keen perception, sound judgment 
and a knowledge of probabilities are frequently required 
to solve a problem of discarding. It stands to reason that 
no rule can be sufficiently comprehensive to cover the va- 
rious and complicated situations in which a player is called 
upon to discard. Nevertheless, attempts have been made 
to regulate this phase of strategy by the most arbitrary and 
rigid dicta. Some players go to the absurd extreme of 
discarding "invariably from weakness." Others employ 
conventional methods, which restrict freedom of action, 
and are never practicable under all circumstances. What 
these conventions gain by precision under favorable con- 
ditions is more than lost through the doubt and deception 
which ensue from compulsory departure, due to the com- 
position of the hand. The principle of the discard has 
already been elucidated^ and it will be found to permeate 
the following directions, which are designed to impart a 
broad understanding of the subject, and to cultivate the 
faculty of exercising logical reasoning, which wall enable 
the player to bring a practical and untrammeled judgment 
to bear upon any situation with which he may be con- 
fronted. A careful study of the illustrative cases, consid- 
ered in this chapter, will convince the intelligent student 
of the futility of any restrictive method of discarding. 

(175) 



176 The Discard. 

The general principle of the discard is formulated in 
the following rule by Mathews (Maxim 79) : ''If weak in 
trumps, keep guard on your adversaries' suits. If strong, 
throw away from them." 

The first part of the dictum is axiomatic. It is equiva- 
lent to an injunction to act upon the defensive when weak. 
Common sense, however, should govern its application. 
No guard can be kept on an unopened suit, of which one 
holds 8, 6, 2 ; nevertheless, rather than discard from such 
a holding, some players will cripple a good suit for the 
sake of making a conventional declaration. 

The second half of the maxim is subject to consider- 
able exception. 

The point to be borne in mind is the relative strength 
(both in trumps and plain suits) of the contending hands ; 
not merely who is leading trumps ; nor who has at the 
moment the best trump; nor who extracts the last trump. 
When the strength approximates an even division, as will 
most frequently be the case ; these facts are unreliable 
criteria. Each of them will, of course, carry weight in a 
calculation, but must be considered in connection with the 
concomitant conditions. The first discard of the hand is 
the most important. It is the most precise in its informa- 
tive character^ and will be read with greater confidence 
than later discards, which are not equally significant. 

Considering the following simple cases in connection 
with the general rule, the reader will readily see that it is 
far from being universally applicable. 

Example. — In each case suppose trumps to have been 
led three times by the opponents, necessitating a discard. 



The Discard. 177 

4^9.7. ^K, O. 3. c?3 10, 8, 6, 3, 2. 0Q>J'9. 
4^Q, 4- 9?J'7>6, 2. cg)9. 8>5. OJ. 5, 4, 3. 

Both hands will call for the discard of a Club. In the 
former it is, indeed, numerically the best protected suit, 
but it is not the suit in which the holder has the most 
strength, nor is it the one he wishes to be led to him. 

In the latter case the discard is the same as would be 
made if the partner, instead of the adversaries, was extract- 
ing the trumps, the reason being that the suit is worthless, 
and to remove a guard from either of the Jacks might 
result in loss. 

It is discouraging and harmful to give a beginner a 
''rule," which in practice may produce more loss than gain. 
There is no conventional system which can insure an in- 
variably directive discard. The best results will follow the 
practice of interpreting the fall as the outcome of the exer- 
cise of sound discretion on the part of the partner. 

The situations in which the discard occurs may be 
divided into six principal classes, typical examples of which 
are afforded by the following illustrations. 

I. When the balance of trump strength is with 
THE PARTNER, the discard should be from a worthless suit, 
if possible. An honor in an adverse suit should not in gen- 
eral be unguarded, except in cases of unusual strength in 
the combined hands, or unless such a proceeding is ren- 
dered advisable by the desire to give partner precise infor- 
mation. The latter portion of the rule only, requires illus- 
tration. 

Example. — South holds the following hand: ^ J, 9, 7, 

2;^Q, 10, 8, 5, 4;c?dJ, 5 ; OJ, 8. 
12 



178 



The Discard. 



DKAI, NO. 14. 

Trump, Diamond 4. Leader, North. 



20 





3> 


40 


1 


JO 


34i 


Q^ 


3 


2<^ 


4cS. 


K4k 


5 


5c& 


Q* 


10* 


7 



5* 



3,S> 





QO 


5 0| 2 


8t 


5^ 


A* 


4 


74^ 


6(g) 


A* 


6 



AO 



64i 



7(55 



JcSb 



8* 



4^ 



At trick seven. South discards from his long and mod- 
erately strong suit. Looking on the discard merely as a 
medium of information, no harm can be done; the oppo- 
nents have declared two of the plain suits, and North must 
know that South's suit, if any, is Hearts. North, having 
put up Diamond Queen on second rounds has doubtless 
the King, but cannot hold the 10. If he has King and two 
more trumps and (say) two honors in Hearts, South can 
obviously afford to discard Spade 9; but it is just as likely 
that North opened trumps, holding four only, from a split 



The Discard. 



179 



hand (see p. 86) and that Ace and King of Hearts are both 
adverse. It has become clear that North's lead was not 
from all-round plain suit strength. West has the two last 
Clubs; East Spade King and one other, at least. The 
chance of bringing in the small Hearts is too remote to 
justify South in giving up a trick, or at least a forcing card, 
in Spades. 

In the deal which follows, the reasoning is similar, 
but the case is more troublesome, and opinions have been 
found to differ. 



DKAi. NO. 15. 

Declining to Unguard an Adverse Suit, although Part- 
ner has the Trump Strength. 

TKe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

^ Q, 8. 9, 6, 2. A, J, 10, 5, 4. K, 7, 3. 

V A, 7, 6, 3. Q, 10, 9, 2. J, 8, 4. K, 5. 

4, K, 10, 9, 6, 3. J, 5, 4. Q, 8, 7. A, 2. 

4 A, 9. 7, 6, 3. 10, 4. K,Q,J,8,5,2. 



TRUMP, CLUB 9. 



LEADER, EAST. 



K^ 



J^ 



A^ 



1 2V 



3 
40 



30 



3* 



Ac§5 
2* 


2 
K* 

4 



v* 



4cSb 



5<Q^ 



i8o 



The Discard. 



94, 



90 



20 



86^ 



J* 



0,0 



7 4 



100 



6c2, 



£♦ 



60 



COMMENT. 

Trick 7.— What should be South's discard? His ha:nd, and the 
foregoing play, were submitted to James Clay in 1870, who was of 
opinion that (knowing North to have the last trump) he should 
"without hesitation" unguard his Heart Jack. In this "Cavendish" 
concurred. It must be borne in mind, however, that the English 
Short Whist (5 up, with honors), which these authorities con- 
templated, is a very different game from Duplicate, as played in 
America. If South's Spades were established, to throw the Heart 
would undoubtedly be right; so also if, in playing to the score, it 
had become necessary for North and South to secure all the 
remaining tricks, when South would assume the necessary other 
Spades to be in North's hand. 

As the cards lie, if South discards Heart, North leads Spade 
Queen won by West, and East and West make three tricks in 
Hearts right away. Result — North and South six, East and West 
seven. 

If he discards Spade 4 it ought not to deter North from still 
leading Spade Queen, as South's strength, if any, must be in that 
suit. In this case East and West win one trick only in Hearts. 
Result — North and South eight, East and West five, a gain of two 
tricks. 

Interchange Queen and King of Spades and the same conse- 
quence ensues; on the other hand, if North should hold both 
Queen and King, or King while East has Queen, the Spade discard 
would lose one trick. Also, if Heart 3 and Spade 2 be transposed, 
the Heart discard loses one trick instead of two, and various other 
changes will influence the result. 



The Discard. 



i8i 



It is evident, then, that the possession of the thirteenth trump 
— still less that of a winning twelfth — cannot be the sole criterion 
of strength. In each case, all the circumstances must be taken 
into account. 

DEAL NO. 1 6. 

The Conventional Discard responsible for a Loss of 
Two Tricks. 

THe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4^ A, K, 8, 7, 3. Q, 9, 5, 2. 

if 7, 6, 3. 9, 8, 2. 

4^ 10, 9, 3, J, 7, 6, 5. 

^ J, 9. A, 5. 



J, 6. 10, 4. 

K, J, 10. A, Q, 5, 4. 

Q, 8, 4. A, K, 2. 

K, Q, 10, 6, 4. 8, 7, 3, 2. 



TRUMP, SPADE 10. 



LEADER, NORTH. 





3* 


4* 


1 


J* 


A* 


20 


3 



4cg> 



24^ 



94^ 



10 4i 



30 



K4i 



6* 



J^ 



40 



5* 



50 



COMMENT. 

Trick 3. — South discards, according to book rule, from his 
weakest suit, thereby unguarding his Queen of Clubs, the ill efifect 
of which will be brought home to him later on. West's discard, 
according to book, should have been a Heart. He considers, how- 
ever, that his Diamond 8 may be looked upon as no defense at 



l82 



The Discard. 



all from a practical point of view; also that the adversary, being 
in the lead, may be induced to lead up to the tenace in Hearts. 
But the Heart discard would be sounder play, though it makes no 
difference as the cards lie. 

Trick 4. — We will suppose that North suspects the trap, and 
has recourse to the Diamonds as being a more likely venture. By 
not allowing West's discard to influence North the result of 
South's own discard will be made more manifest. East passes 
the Jack, hoping to find North with not more than two Diamonds, 
and to denude him of the suit. 



70 



9t 



60 



AO 



Q^ 



3<;:? 



9V 



lot;? 



Trick 6. — In face of the established Diamonds, East prefers 
not to draw one of North's losing trumps. Not wishing to lead 
through declared weakness in Clubs, he plays to find West with 
good Hearts. It is, of course, now plain that West's Diamond 
was not discarded from strength. 



3c§> 



9cSb 



K4» 



5c?5 



A4> 



6* 



8* 



Q* 



I0c5> 



7* 



24» 



J6h 



4 9? 



10 



Q4 



100 



KO 



8^ 



6V 



80 



11 



7* 



A(^ 



12 



29? 



J^ 



K^^ 



THe Discard. 



183 



Tiick 11. — If South discards Diamond Queen he leaves West 
with the best. East takes the last trick with Heart 8, and East 
and West win eight tricks. 

The overplay, if South keeps his Clubs and Hearts 
guarded, and discards a Diamond at trick 3, will be as fol- 
lows : 



4* 
20 


3* 

1 

J* 
A* 

3 



2<i> 



40 



9* 



K^ 



10 4i 



&^ 



6* 



10 4» 



Keg, 



5(Sb 



4* 



3^ 



4V 



7 



5 


8^ 


10 <9 


JO 


7 


AO 



6^ 

6^ 



Q^ 



9¥ 





90 




30 


6 50 


K^ 


7* 


80 


8 


Q4 



10 

7^ 



AV 



10 



2(J? 



J^ 



K^ 



184 



The Discard. 



5¥ 



84i 



11 



6(53 



QO 



A,5, 



34^ 



12 



8* 



7* 



3* 



24k 



13 



J* 



Xorth and South, seven. 
East and West, six. 



Qcfc 



A gain of two tricks for North and South. 

II. Whex the preponderance of trump strength 
IS WITH the opponents^ care should be exercised not to 
weaken a suit which may be adverse. In the absence of 
definite knowledge it is reasonable to infer that the suits to 
which the discarder is weak are those in which the adver- 
saries are most likely to be strong. 

In practice this rule will generally necessitate the dis- 
card from the strongest or best protected suit. It may 
happen that one of the weaker suits is worthless, but it 
would be inadvisable to discard from it, if by so doing its 
defenselessness would be revealed or might be inferred by 
the adversaries. 

Example. — Suppose (East and West ha^nng extracted 
the trumps) South to be called upon to discard from the fol- 
lowing cards : cJd Q, J, 9. 7> 6, 4 ; <> 7> 6. 

The Hearts are accounted for. The opponents will 
expect South's discard to be from his strongest suit, but 
if he throws a Diamond it is quite likely that, although they 
mav not have entire control of that suit, thev will be in a 



The Discard. 



185 



position to know that it cannot be South's best protected, 
and would naturally infer that he has no defense in it, 
otherwise he would hold it up against them. Thus they will 
be directed to the position of any outlying card of the suit 
which is not in their possession, and will lead through 
North and finesse against South. To obviate such a devel- 
opment South should discard from the Clubs (several of 
which must be useless to him) and leave the opponents in 
doubt as to whether he may be able to offer any resistance 
in the Diamonds. 

It will happen sometimes, that the only alternative is 
to hazard the defense in a protected suit when of course 
the worthless one will be discarded from. The fohowing 
deal involves a case in point. 

DEAL NO. 17. 

Not Discarding from Best Guarded Suit when Op- 
ponents are Strong in Trumps. 

THe Hands. 



NORTH. 






EAST. 


SOUTH. 




WEST. 


4 10, 9. 

¥ A, 9, 8, 2. 
4> 8, 7, 6, 3, 
♦ K, Q, 8. 




6,2. 

7, 6, 5. 

A, 10. 

A, 10,9,5,4,2. 


J, 8, 7, 3 
K, 10, 4. 
J, 4, 2. 

7, 6, 3. 


. A, K, Q, 5, 4. 
Q, J, S. 
K, Q, 9, 5. 
J. 


TRUMP, 


CLUB 5. 


LEADEE 


, NORTH. 




2 


¥ 


&^ 


J<y 


A^ 




3^ 




1 


2 


6<:y 



K^ 



10 ¥ 



i86 



The Discard. 



COMMENT. 

Tricks 2 and 3. — Some players, with West's hand, would have 
played Queen of Hearts on South's lo, to call for trumps: the 
sig-nal might have been of use if the Hearts had been rufTed on 
third round. But West's weakness in Diamonds is a reason for 
caution. 



Q^ 



8V 



4^ 



7^ 



54» 



3c£) 



2c?3 



A<55 



Q* 



6c53 



J* 



10^ 



Q4» 



7* 



4cg) 



2 4^ 



TricJc 5. — In the trump suit, South covers the lo returned. If 
West has both King and Queen, the Jack is as good as dead: if 
North has either, the Jack must force third hand or hold the trick, 
and may make good the 9 with North. 

Tricl-s 6 and 7. — East, on partner's lead of trumps, discards, as 
usual, his worthless Spades. If West can give support enough in 
Diamonds, the latter may all be wanted to win tricks with. 
South's discard is forced. He cannot conform to the letter of 
the conventional rule to discard from his "best-protected" suit; 
because to do so would be to violate its spirit. The Spade is the 
only suit he can protect, but not if he discards therefrom. If pro- 
tection is needed in Diamonds. North must supply it: South's 
holding in that suit is useless for any purpose. [If South is a 
routine player, and discards, like an automaton, from his "best- 
protected" suit, North and South lose two tricks.] 



8c§) 



Kilk 



6^ 



K* 



94^ 



20 



30 



34^ 



Q4 



The Discard. 
10 4i 8 

A* 



40 



7* 



187 



10 



50 



8* 



J4 



QO 



11 A 



60 



4* 



KO 



12 



10 4 



7 



Tricks 11 to 13. — South's Jack effectually obstructs the further 
progress of the Spades, and North must make one Diamond and 
the thirteenth Heart. 



9¥ 



54^ 



13 



90 



East and West, nine. 
North and South, four. 



J^ 



III. When the ultimate command of trumps, or 

THE GENERAL BALANCE OF STRENGTH IN THE AGGREGATE, IS 
DOUBTFUL. 

The discard under such conditions often presents the 
most dif^cult problem, upon the correct solution of which 
may depend the outcome of a conflict between equal forces. 
Both sides must act with caution, and a discarding player 
upon either, will be slow to unguard an honor or to pro- 
claim weakness. The following deal exemplifies the tac- 
tics best adapted to the situation in question. 



1 88 



The Discard. 



DEAL NO. l8. 



NORTH. 



RATIONAL DISCARDING. 
TKe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



A, 10, 9, 7, 3. 8, 6, 4. 



K, J, 2. 



if 9, 6. 8, 5, 3, 2. A, Q, J, 10. K, 7, 4. 

*Q,9,8,6,5,3. 7. A. K, J, 10, 4, 2. 

^ 7, 3, 2. 8, 6, 5. K, Q, J, 10, 4. A, 9. 



TRUMP, HEARTS DECLARED. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



20 

Ao[ 1 [ so 

J* 





3* 


10 4k 


2 




Af?) 



7c& 



COMMENT. 



Trick 2. — North, inferring' West's lead to be from strength, 
does not put up the Queen. But on a Jack or lo led from a weak 
suit the play would be to cover. 



6^ 



4*;:? 



2'5? 



A^f 



9^ 



K^ 



3(^ 



10 V 



Trick 4. — South knows that his partner has no more trumps. 



5c& 



5* 



K4» 



eo 



2* 



A4i 



40 



4« 



The Discard. 



189 



Trick 5. — Observe the discards. East does not throw away 
a Spade, as would be usual when the opponents are leading trumps, 
because he still hopes that the suit may be brought in. South 
knows that if he trumps this trick he must leave one opponent 
with a long trump; also that the force cannot be repeated in the 
Qub suit, since North must hold the Queen. The usual discard 
would be from his worthless Spades. But South, recognizing that 
he and his partner have no overwhelming strength, and that it 
would be altogether injudicious to inform the opponents of his 
weakness in Spades, properly prefers to throw away his small 
Diamond. This cautious policy, as the sequel shows, happens 
to win three tricks. 

Trick 6. — It is useless for West to continue with a losing 
Club and expose East to being overtrumped. He can count South 
with Queen, Jack of trumps, and three Diamonds at least, including 
King and Queen. He infers that South holds Queen of Spades 
guarded, as he has discarded from his strong (and probably estab- 
lished) suit, and assumes East to hold Spade Ace; otherwise the 
game is desperate. 



J^ 



Q* 



6^ 



3* 



2c§3 



Q4k 



J<J? 



5^ 



Trick 7. — West carefully finesses against South's supposed 
reentry, but receives a disagreeable surprise. 

Tricks 9 to 13. — South draws the trumps and brings in the 
Diamonds, East and West only making Spade King. 

Result — North and South, eight; East and West, five. 



Supposing, however, that South had thrown away 
Spade 4 at the fifth trick. West would never have waited to 
finesse against him, but would most likely have played to 
strengthen East in the Spades, leading up to South's pre- 
sumptive weakness, thus : 



190 



K* 



The Discard. 
60 K^' 



4* 



6^ 



34^ 



J* 



Q* 



s^ 



A4i 







6c2d 


2 


^ 


8 



10 ♦ 



COMMENT. 

TrlcTxS 9* ef seq. — South can draw two adverse trumps with his 
Queen, and also make one Diamond; but East must then get in 
with the thirteenth trump and has two more winning Spades. 
(Observe that in this case East would have lost a trick by dis- 
carding Spade instead of Diamond at trick five.) 

Result — North and South, five; East and West, eight. 



Somewhat similar in character are deals in which one 
side leads out trumps, but is eventually left with a losing 
twelfth. It is evident that the mere possession of the best 
trump is not sufficient to determine ultimate command, 
inasmuch as it may sometimes be immediately forced by 
an established plain suit. And even if otherwise, the re- 
maining: cards mav so lie that the final issue is verv doubt- 
ful. Under such circumstances, cases of considerable dif- 
ficulty may arise, especially for the partner who has to in- 
terpret a discard, of which the following deal is an ex- 
ample. 



The Discard. 



191 



DEAL NO. 19, 

Leading to the Discard. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTM. 



WEST. 



^ 10, 8, 4, 2. 7, 5. 

^ A,Q,10,6,5. 9, 8, 7. 

4k 6, 2. 10, 8, 7, 3. 

^ 9, 4. J, 10, 7, 3. 



J, 6, 3. 


A, K, Q, 9. 


J, 4, 3. 


K, 2. 


K, J, 9, 5. 


A, Q, 4. 


Q, 8, 5. 


A, K, 6, 2. 



TRUMP, SPADES DECLARED. 



LEADER, WEST. 



Q4 



24^ 



5* 



34^ 



K* 



4* 



64i 



7* 



A* 



8^ 



79? 



J* 



40 



K^ 



50 



COMMENT. 



30 



Trick 4. — With West's strong hand, and eleven trumps gone, 
he would probably have played better to lead Diamond 2 instead 
of King. 



90 



2c& 



A^ 



70 



24 



10 



80 



QO 



Trick 6. — South cannot place the remaining trumps. West 
may have both 10 and 9; or he may have 9, and North the 10; or 



192 The Discard. 

he may even, with a strong all-round hand, have opened from 
three trumps only. It is impossible for South, therefore, to draw 
any inference from North's discard of Club deuce. 

But East's discard of Heart 7 at trick 3, on his partner's 
lead of commanding trumps, proclaims weakness in that suit, and 
from South's own hand it is probable that North's Hearts are 
better than his Clubs. South should lead Heart Jack, which, up 
to weakness, can hardly do harm in any case. If he leads Heart, 
North and South win the odd trick. If, however, he readily jumps 
to the conclusion that North's discard must be from his '"best- 
guarded" cards or "strongest" suit (because the adversary has 
started trumps), and leads Club 5, they win only two tricks more, 
with Heart Ace and the trump. (If North declines, in this case, 
to trump Diamond Jack, East continues with Club, and West, 
after making Queen and Ace. leads his losing trump.) 

North, with his strong suit of Hearts and the best trump, is 
justified in throwing away his worthless Club. Had East held 
Diamond Queen single on the third round, and been compelled to 
open a new suit, he would very likely have led a Heart up to 
North's tenace, on the assumption that the Club discard denoted 
strength. 

IV. Deceptive discards. 

It is a very ancient stratagem to endeavor to mislead, 
by your discard, an adversary who will be left with the lead. 
Hoyle says : 

''If a suit is led, of which I have none, and a moral 
certainty that my partner has not the best of that suit, in 
order to deceive the adversary I throw away my strong 
suit ; but to clear up doubts to my partner, when he has the 
lead, I throw away my weak suit." 

It is here assumed by Hoyle that an original discard 
not intended to deceive should always be from a weak 
suit ; but this, as more modern players have long perceived, 
is not the case. The fact that to discard from a strong suit 
may injure the hand is also left unnoticed; which forms a 
necessary limitation to the precept. 



The Discard. 



193 



Maxim 107 of Mathews is of similar import: 
"Observe carefully what is originally discarded by each 
player, and whether, at the time, the lead is with the partner 
or adversary. If with the former, it is invariably meant to 
direct the partner — if with the latter, it is frequently in- 
tended to deceive the adversary, and induce him to lead to 
his (the discarder's) strong suit." 

That the word ''invariably" is inapplicable will have 
become apparent from what has been already advanced. 
Perceptive players, who discard according to the fall of the 
cards, and are not bound by rigid rules, will rarely have 
occasion to throw away otherwise than is demanded by 
their hand and the circumstances of the situation. Our 
general cautions as to false cards are here particularly to 
be remembered. Nevertheless, tricks may sometimes be 
won by playing dark, as the following deal will show. 

DEAL NO. 20. 

The Deceptive Discard. 

TKe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 



^ J, 9, 6, 5. 8, 3. 10, 4, 2. 

if A, 7. 8, 6, 2. Q, 9, 3. 

4k J, 7, 6. A, 8, 5, 2. K, Q, 4, 3. 

^ Q, J, 7, 2. K, 10, 8, 3. A, 5, 4. 



A, K, Q, 7. 
K, J, 10, 5, 4. 

10, 9. 
9, 6. 



TRUMP, SPADE KING. 



LEADER, NORTH. 



eo 



2^ 



AO 



30 



90 



JO 



5t 



KO 



13 



194 



41;:? 



The Discard. 

104 5(;:7 



2^ 



4 



3^ 



COMMENT. 



Trick 3. — By continuing the Diamonds. East will force the 
command, and. if North opened from four only, will probably get 
a new suit led to which West will be fourth player. There is no 
inducement to open the Clubs, which can hardly be good for more 
than a single trick. If East had led Diamond Queen, West's 
natural discard would be Club g. Although West hopes to be able 
to bring in the Hearts (and may possibly make one trick less in 
the suit by throwing away from it), he recognizes that it will be 
worth at least that one trick if he can get North to lead up to his 
minor tenace. and that it would be foolish policy to proclaim to 
the enem}' his most vulnerable spot. 

Tricks 4 and 5.— It falls out as West had hoped. 



TV 



54^ 



K^ 



6(^ 



Q4 



3^ 



QV 



2^ 



K* 



6* 



4* 



8^ 



A* 



Q^ 



10 4^ 



2* 



Trick 8. — East keeps Heart 8. as he now sees that that must 
be his partner's suit, probably established. 



J* 



J* 



J¥ 



s^ 



9c& 



10 



A* 



9^ 



3c5) 



The Discard. 195 

Tricks 11 to 13.— East leads Diamond 8, on which West dis- 
cards his losing Club, and the final tricks are won by the thir- 
teenth trump and Heart lo. 

Result — North and South, four; East and West, nine. 

If West discards Club 9 at trick 3, and North leads 
Club Jack, East, on winning, will either lead the best Dia- 
mond, (South trumping in with the 10,) or open the Hearts. 
In the former case. North and South may well win seven 
tricks. In the latter. West will be quite justified in finessing 
the 10, which forces Ace ; but South retains the Queen 
guarded, and his Club forces the 7 of trumps. This varia- 
tion results in six tricks for North and South. 

V. Not throwing away losing cards. 

It has been already remarked that worthless cards are 
frequently to be retained in hand for the sake of withhold- 
ing information from the opponents. It may further be 
pointed out that by parting with a losing card you deprive 
yourself of the power of placing the lead in that suit, either 
with your partner or an adversary. The discards consid- 
ered in this section generally occur late in hand. Take the 
following deal : 

DKAI. NO. 21. 

Refraining from Discarding a Losing Card which may 
be Needed to Reenter Partner. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

47,5,4. 8,6. K,Q,J,10,2. A, 9, 3. 

V A, K. 8, 7, 4. 9, 6, 3, 2. Q, J, 10, 5. 

*9, 8, 3, 2. A, K, Q, 5. 10. J, 7, 6, 4. 

^ A, Q, 10, 3. K, 9, 7, 2. J, 6, 5. 8, 4. 

TRUMP, DIAMOND 2. LEADER SOUTH. 



196 The Discard. 

5^ K^ 



A* 


1 


6* 




J* 
3* 




40 


3 


20 




JO 


COMMENT 



QV 



4(^7 



2^ 

AO 



80 



70 



6^ 



Trlcl: 4. — For North to finesse is evidently useless, as West 
can not hold the King. 



10 4 



2c& 



34i 



EO 



4* 



A 4k 



50 



10 eg. 



Tr/Y*^' 5. — With the Spades established, and a certain reentry 
in Hearts. North is strong enough to continue the trump and 
force the command. Had the trumps lain evenly, the third round 
would have cleared the suit. As the cards lie. both trumps and 
Clubs are very unfavorable for North, yet it will be found that the 
third round of trumps loses nothing. If, on the other hand, North 
resumes Spades at trick 5, East makes the 9 of trumps and leads 
out King, and he and his partner win the odd trick. And if North 
opens the Clubs. East (who can count the trumps), again draws 
two adverse trumps, and North and South neither gain nor lose. 

Trick 6. — It is useless for East to play an informatory game, 
so he leads from the Ace downward. 



3c§> 



8c2> 



6c§5 



KJI, 



VtSb 



Q,* 



3^ 



6^ 



The Discard. 



197 



J* 



9c?) 



2* 



5* 



9* 



5 4^ 



10 



10 4i 



84^ 



Trick 9. — South knows North to hold the best Heart (see trick 
2) and the Queen of trumps. It is certain, therefore, that the 
Spades cannot all be of use. On the other hand, it may be im- 
portant to be able to give North the lead in Hearts, that he may- 
draw the losing trump. Hence South must discard an established 
Spade. 

Trick 10. — West takes his best chance by leading South's suit, 
as North may hold one Spade only, or South may have made the 
mistake of throwing away all his Hearts. But it does not, in fact, 
matter how West plays. 

Tricks 11 to 13. — South leads Heart 9, won by North, who 
leads Diamond Queen, then Spade 7. 

North and South win the odd trick. 

If South discards his Heart at trick 9, and West leads 
a Spade, East must make Diamond 9, and East and West 
win the odd. The point is simple, but is often disregarded 
in actual play. 

For an analogous instance of throwing away a winning 
card so as to be able to give partner the lead, see Critical 
Ending, No. 37. 

The following deal affords another warning against 
foolishly throwing away a losing card. 



DEAL NO. 22. 

Refusing to Blank an Ace — An Unwise Discard of a 
looser. 



198 



NORTH. 



The Discard. 
THe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 6, 4, 2. K, J, 10, 8, 3. A, Q, 9. 7, 5. 

yK, 8, 7, 4, 3,2. Q, J, 5. A, 6. 10, 9. 

*A, 7. 2. K, Q, 8,4. J, 10, 9, 6,5,3. 



♦ 7,5. 




A, 8, 


3,2. 


Q,J, 10, 


9. K, 6, 4. 


TRUMP, DIAMOND ^ 


L 


LEADER, NORTH. 




2V 




COMM] 




50 


99? 


1 


J(^ 


40 


2 AO 




A^ 




iNT. 


Q4 



Tncfc 2 — North having declared strength in Hearts, South 
is justified, with his good Spades and Ckibs. in leading trumps. 
North knows that South has Heart 5 or 6, for if East had had 
both, he would not have put up the Jack. 



24i 



70 



5^ 



10 ♦ 



KO 



20 



Q* 



9* 



Trick 4. — By following Queen with 9, South declares Jack and 
10, provided the lead is from numerical strength. 



4^ 



Q^ 



7* 



J* 



60 



30 



^^ 



10 4 



The Discard. 



199 



Trick 6. — North's discard gives South the important informa- 
tion that West (who returned the 7 after playing the 5 at trick 
3) has no more Spades. 



10 (J? 



3^ 



J* 



80 



3* 



A* 



4* 



2c5, 



Trick 7. — North discards from his long unestablished suit, 
rather than blank the Ace of Clubs. West's discard is doubly bad. 
and eventually loses two tricks. He tells North that he has no 
more Hearts (for. although a poor player, he would not unguard 
the Queen if he held it). He tells South that if he has other 
Hearts they can only be King and Queen together, or King single. 
He further deprives himself of his only card in a suit of which 
he knows East to hold the Queen, doubtless guarded. Three 
manifold disadvantages are incurred for no conceivable reason, as 
he cannot expect to make all his long weak suit of Clubs. 

Trick 8. — From North's discard of Heart on the best trump. 
South infers North to be husbanding an honor in Clubs, which 
can hardly be other than the Ace. He has, therefore, little fear of 
East's reentering in that suit and bringing in the Spades. He 
naturally leads the small card, as in any case would be usual when 
trumps are exhausted. 



V* 



4^ 



9* 



3^ 



J* 



10 



8* 



8* 



Q* 



Trick 9. — Observe the fatal consequence of West's ill-judged 
discard of the Heart. South sees that his Club King and Queen 
must make, even if West has two winning Hearts (see note to 
trick (6) ; while, if West's 10 were his only Heart, and North has 
the King, the Club must be returned perforce, and East, at trick 
II, will be compelled, by his discard, to make good either South's 
Spade 9, or a second Heart in the hand of North. 

North and South take the three remaining tricks. 

Result — North and South, ten; East and West, three. 



200 The Discard. 

Note that, if West retains Heart lo, South cannot risk 
passing the Chib at trick 9, as Ckib King and Queen will 
have to be thrown away, unless Xorth happens to have 
another Club, which, from his discard of Heart 3, is very 
unlikely. 

VI. Throwing away the best of a suit, to pro- 
claim CONTROL. 

DEAL NO. 23. 

The Discard to Show Command. 
TKe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

4 10,8,7,6,2. 3. 9, 5, 4. A, K, Q, J. 

V J, 10, 4. 6, 5, 3. 8, 7, 2. A, K, Q, 9. 

4, J, 8. 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. A. K, Q, 10, 2. 

^7, 6, 2. Q, 5, 4. A, K, J, 10, 9, 3. 8. 

straight whist-seven up. SCORE: FOUR ALL. 
TRUMP, SPADE 4. LEADER WEST. 



2Q, 6^ 

^3^ 



J4k 1 34^ Q4 



44^ 5^ 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — With West's unusually powerful hand, the trump is 
the obvious lead. 

Trick 2. — East's discard is. of course, the worthless Heart. 



K* 



The Discard. 
5^ A4k 



20I 



ec:? 



9« 



2^3? 



Trick 4. — South's natural discard would be Diamond 3. but 
the strong adversary has the lead, and South does not propose 
to inform him which suit to avoid. The Hearts are useless for 
defense. 



4^ 



10^ 



KV 



3c5b 



QV 



4* 



7^ 



8^ 



Tricl^s 5 and 6 — East's Clubs are so weak that it is not worth 
his while to unguard Diamond Queen. 



AV 



7 \56h 



10 <^ 



9¥ 



66h 



30 



AO 



Trick 8. — If South were to discard Diamond 9 it is almost 
certain that North would lead a Club, especially since East has 
been throwing that suit away. In that case, if Diamond Queen 
doubly guarded be adverse. South cannot hope to win more than 
three tricks. To save the game he must win four. This he makes 
certain of doing, no matter how the Queen lies, by throwing away 
the Ace, and so g'etting the suit led at once. For the lead neces- 
sarily comes back to his hand on the first round of Clubs, 



7* 



80 



40 



2c§> 



20 



10 



50 



90 



K4 



202 



The Discard. 



60 



8c§) 



10 c?) 



11 



QO 



Qc?) 



12 



V* 



Jf 



A(5, 



TrfcA' 13. — South makes Diamond lo, and North and South 
save the game. 

The following deal illustrates the discard to show con- 
trol or establishment under conditions different from the 
foregoing. 

DKAL NO. 24. 

The Discard to Show Control. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 



4 Q, 8, 5. 



K, 2. 



A,J,9,7,6,4. 10, 3. 



10, 5. 



VK, 4, 3. A, Q, J, 9,8,7. 6,2. 

4k A, Q, 9, 8,5,2. 10. J, 6. K, 7, 4, 3. 

^A. 7,5,4,3. Q, 9, 2. K, J, 10,8,6. 



TRUMr, CLUB 10. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



TKe Play. 





&^ 




34^ 1 24i 


A* 


3^ 


5(y 


3 


AV 



2 1^ 



Q* 



10 4^ 2 



K^i 



10^ 



4* 



6^ 



J¥ 



Kc& 



The Discard. 203 

10<$) 10 ♦ I 6 3 <C> 



J* 



2^ 



COMMENT. 



Trick 5. — With six trumps in hand, North is not deterred by 
the estabhshed Hearts from playing for the protection of the 
Spades. 



3* 



AJl, 



66h 



40 



4tg) 



8<4b 



J* 



50 



Trick 8. — South cannot place the Spade 8, which may be with 
either North or East. If the latter holds it, South's only chance 
of getting in depends upon the Diamond Queen, to which he 
must therefore retain the guard. He discards the best Spade to 
show complete command of the suit. 



7* 



94, 



6^ 



'70 



60 



8* 



10 



9* 



7^ 



Trick 9. — It is now quite clear that North will have tw^o trumps 
in hand after this trick, so that South can discard another Spade 
without any risk of loss. 



80 



4^ 

11 Is^:? 



JO 



5cg> 



12 



9^ 



'7* 



©♦ 



204 The Discard. 

Q4k 



KO 



13 



North and South, ten. 
East and West, three. 



QC> 



One of the valuable conventions which have probably 
come to us as the result of sound and independent play at 
a time when the evolution of the game was in its earliest 
stage, is the discard to show command or strength. 
(Vide Deal 29, Overplay Tr. 5, p. 236.) It is not unreason- 
able to suppose that its origin was somewhat in this wise : 
A player desiring his partner to lead him a certain suit after 
trumps had been extracted, discarded an 8 or 9 in the hope 
that the partner, knowing that he could not be short in the 
suit, would reason that if the card played was his lowest, 
he must hold some high ones. When later he dropped a 
lower than that played to the former trick, it would be ob- 
vious that the unnecessarily high card had been selected 
with a purpose in mind, and there could be no difficulty in 
determining it. 

The signal by discard is only practicable when the sit- 
uation precludes the possibility of its being mistaken for a 
trump call. It is very seldom, however, that occasion for 
it arises until after trumps have been led. 

The following diagram includes an illustration of the 
"reverse discard," as it is commonly termed. 



The Discard. 



205 



DEAL NO. 25. 

The Reverse Discard to Denote Strength. 
TKe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST SOUTH. WEST. 



4^ J, 5, 3. A, Q, 9, 8, 7. 

V A, Q, 9, 8, 7. K, 10, 5, 4, 3. 

4, Q, 9, 2. 10. 
♦ 6,3. 



A, 8. 



6,4. 

6. 

K, J, 8, 4, 3. 

K, Q, 10, 9, 5. 



K, 10, 2. 
J, 2. 

A, 7, 6, 5. 
J, 7, 4, 2. 



TRUMP, HEART 7. 



LEADER, EAST. 



THe Play, 



34^ 



5^ 



24^ 



1 



A* 



^^ 



7* 



44^ 6^ 

COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — With five trumps and an ace reentry in hand, the 
low opening would probably have been better, but the result is 
not affected by the lead.* 



10 ♦ 



Q4i 



20 



AO 



6^ 



K^ 



Trick 3. — West can read one adversary void, whilst the other 
must hold Queen or Jack. He deems it advisable to go on and 
clear the suit rather than op^en one of his long holdings 
haphazard. 

Trick 4 — North commences a trump signal, which is justified 
by his strength, together with South's lead. 

♦Tlie low lead from ace, five or more in suit, may be indneed by un- 
usual strength as well as by unusual weakness. Under all eonditions. it 
is better calculated, than the lead of ace, to expedite establishment, the 
deterrent being the chance of tln' master card being trumped on a later 
round. When five trumps are held, the possibility of such an occurrence 
is minimizes] and most players will open low with such support. When 
a hand is otherwise weak the prospect, such as it is, of bringing in a 
long &uit, headed by ace, often depends upon retaining the commanding 
card for reentry, and coiiseqtiently the suit should generally be broached 
with a low card, in such case, even at the risk of a trick. 



2o6 



J^ 



The Discard. 
3V 4<>' 



4* 



QO 



80 



Trick 5. — East broaches trumps for the protection of the long 
Spades. South has shown his strongest suit, and now starts a 
reverse discard to indicate strength in Ckibs. If the develop- 
ment renders it desirable, the signal can be masked. 



JO 



7^ 



9t 



10^ 



70 



8^ 



3c§> 



9* 



Trick 8. — The completion of North's trump call at trick 6 
deters East from prosecuting the trump extraction; instead, he 
plays to force North. South completes the discard to show 
strength. 



A* 



Q* 



Bc& 



10 (ft 



2¥ 



A^ 



10 



50 



4^ 



Tinck 9. — North leads to his partner's declared strength. 

Trick 10. — West's return of the trump through North is good 
play in view of the previous force on the latter's hand. North 
can sum up the situation. There is nothing to play for but the 
remote chance of East making an error. 



9Jt, 



9^ 



5* 



11 



5(^ 



6c§, 



12 



KV 



J* 



10 <> 



The Discard. 207 



East and West, eight. 



North and South, five. 



K4J) 



Vacillation in discarding is commonly a costly error. 
Two suits, either of which would have afforded effective 
protection, are both rendered innocuous, by the holder 
discarding first from one and then from the other until the 
honors stand deprived of their guards, helpless and harm- 
less. In most cases it w^ill be possible to estimate the 
number of discards the hand will be called upon to make, 
but when such is not the case it is better to select one suit 
and stick to it, than to exceed the limits of safety in two. 

^;r.— Southholds4^8;^K,QJ,9,6; cfcQ, 10,7,6; C>Q,8,4. 

North opens with Spade Jack, which holds the trick, 
showing the quart major. Since South has but one trump 
it will probably take two more rounds, and perhaps three, 
to exhaust the adversaries. 

South should discard from the Diamonds and con- 
tinue to throw from that suit as long as North leads trumps. 
Some players would throw first a Diamond and then a 
Club, with the idea of retaining some strength in both, and 
of directing partner absolutely to the Hearts as the strong 
suit. The result of such a course would be to reduce a suit 
of average strength to a weak one, and to leave the honor 
in the other without an adequate guard. 

Example, — Suppose South to have to discard from the 
following hand under similar conditions : 4^ 8; ^ K, Q, J, 
9, 6;cSdK, 10, 7, 6; <) K, 8, 4. 



2o8 



The Discard. 



In this case he can afford to trim each suit a little with- 
out seriously impairing his protective or reentry strength, 
in either. He would throw a Diamond, then a Club, and if 
required to make a third discard, another Club, remaining 
with a guard to the King of each suit. 

The danger from unguarding a lower honor is more 
obvious than the possibility of loss from blanking an ace. 
(Vide Deal ii, Tr. 7, p. 161, and Critical Ending 4.) Un- 
less he can be sure that the accompanying card will not 
be needed to reenter his partner, a player should not dis- 
card it from the ace, as long as a less objectionable alter- 
native exists. The same restriction applies to the discard 
of a singleton and for the same reason. Many a long suit 
has been irretrievably blocked by such plays. 

The opportunity for unblocking in the discard must 
not be overlooked. The following simple illustration will 
suffice to convey the idea: 

Example. — South's hand, ^ K, Q, 9, 7, 4 ; ^ Q, 7, 4, 
3; eg) None; C) K, Q, 10, 9. 



Trump, Spades declared. I^eader, North. 



5^ 1 8(^ 

I 

4^ 



1^ 



-K.^ 



4cg) 



Q^ 



The Discard. 209 

COMMENT. 

Since South holds the Queen, the lead of Ace absolutely de- 
clares to him a suit of five with his partner, and there can be no 
more than four in the aggregate with the opponents. He begins to 
unblock on the first trick and pursues the process in the second, 
which marks the suit established with North and both adversaries 
void. Until West drops the g, South could not place the Jack, 
which, otherwise, might have been with East; consequently he was 
neither justified in parting with the command nor in commencing 
a signal which could not have been masked. At trick 3, however, 
the known situation is different. North can be read with three 
long hearts and, notwithstanding his lack of Clubs, South is amply 
warranted by the conditions in calling for trumps. Of course he 
declines to break his holding by rufTing in a trick which his partner 
has an even chance of taking, but instead of doing so discards from 
the Hearts, one card of which is useless. He is careful to continue 
the unblocking-play by throwing the Queen, which has the addi- 
tional advantage of emphasizing his desire for a trump lead. If 
the 3 were played to the trick and the Queen held up, two of 
North's winning Hearts might be shut out. 

Whilst the discard of the master card will generally 
be in the process of unblocking or to show control, it may 
be necessitated by the rest of the cards being trumps. 
From a discarded second best it may be inferred that the 
player is unblocking or has no more of the suit, for he 
would not throw a guarded second best if the command 
was adverse. Before making an informative discard it will 
be well to consider whether the partner or the opposition 
is more likely to benefit by the knowledge imparted, and 
which will have the earliest opportunity to act upon it. 

Before the deal is developed sufficiently to show 
where the preponderance of power lies, it may not be wise 
to proclaim complete control of a suit, as one would very 
properly do when it seemed probable that the partner 
could aid in bringing it in. The disadvantage of indiscrim- 
inate declarations of weakness has been pointed out and 
it may be accepted as a general proposition that informa- 
tion of strength is far less apt to result in loss. 

14 



2IO The Discard. 

When partner is too weak to influence the issue it is 
manifestly inadvisable to give information which can be of 
service only to the opponents. This is a strategic principle 
of general application. 

In playing to partner's suit revealed by discard the 
rules for returning his lead from strength should be fol- 
lowed (vide After Leads. Leading to partner's intact 
strength, p. 120). 

When obliged to lead an adversary's suit, the discard, 
especially when a conventional method is employed, will 
often direct one to a lead through strength on the left or 
up to weakness on the right. 

The following diagram affords an exceedingly good 
illustration of an intelligent discard, by which three tricks 
were gained. The deal was played in the finals for the 
Faber Trophy of the New York State V/hist Association, 
in Syracuse, November 18, 1899. Messrs. E. Leroy Smith 
and David Burke played the North and South hands, and 
those of East and West were played by Mrs. E. T. Baker 
and Mrs. Charles T. Harris respectively. 

DKAL NO. 26. 

Illustrating a Common Sense Discard . 

TKe Hands. 

NORTH EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

4 8, 7, 5. K, 4, 2. A, Q, 10, 3. J, 9, 6 

y K, 9, 7. J, 10, 4. Q, 6, 5, 2. A, 8, 3. 

4b 9, 3, 2. 8, 6. 10, 7, 5. A, K, Q, J, 4. 

^ 7, 5, 4, 2. K, 10, 9, 6, 3. A, J. Q, 8. 

TRUMP, CLUBS DECLARED. LEADER, NORTH. 



80 



The Discard. 
^30 Q 



AO 



J4 



211 



60 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — North's hand is about as difficult a one to open 
from as it is possible to conceive. Neither the Spades nor Dia- 
monds contain a high card and the former suit has the additional 
disadvantage of consisting of three cards. The probable trick in 
the Hearts is just as likely to be made if the suit is left alone, 
and opening it with the 7 would be apt to deceive partner. North's 
lead is unquestionably the correct one from the informative point 
of view, as well as from that of defense. He has four Diamonds, 
poor though they be, and every card in his hand lessens the 
probability of an adversary having a long suit of them. The fact 
that the Spade opening would have gained three tricks is not in 
itself an argument in favor of it. 



J* 



2<5) 



5(8> 



6cg) 



Q* 



3cg) 



7cSb 



ScSb 



.9(fe 



^4t 



10 eg. 



24i 



3V 



7^ 



Q^ 



10^ 



Trick 5. — East is called upon to indicate her suit by discard. 
Whichever of two she throws will direct her partner to the other. 
She can place the Diamonds and knows that her only chance of 
making her winning cards in that suit depends upon reentering 
with the Spade King. Ordinarily her discard would be from 
the Hearts, in which there is no probability of a trick, but she 
realizes that if West leads a Spade the chances are even that the 
King falls to the Ace with South, in which case the Diamonds 



212 



The Discard. 



are shut out. To prevent such a development, East throv^^s a 
Spade, with the result that West leads Hearts. The trick falls to 
South as East hoped it would, and a Spade continuation by the 
former makes the King sure and enables the Diamonds to be 
brought in. 



e^ 



7^ 



3* 



K4i 



Q^ 



50 



8 



2^ 



K^ 



J^ 



7 



9 



5^ 



10 ♦ 



8^ 



5^ 



10 



6 '2? 



9^ 



A<;:? 



9^ 



11 



10^ 



JV 



44k 



8^ 



12 



Q* 



4* 



A4k 



K^:? 



13 



4^ 



East and West, eleven. 
North and South, two. 



A^ 



Trump Play. 



TRUMP PLAY. 



Trumps are the controlling factors in almost every deal, 
and their play is the most important phase in the tactics of 
Whist. The degree of skill he displays in the management 
of trumps is the surest criterion of the ability of a player. 
The student can attain to no considerable proficiency until 
he has learned to count the trumps played and to remem- 
ber their rank, and to draw logical deductions from them. 
This he will find more difficult than in the plain suits, be- 
cause irregular leads and follows, deep finesses, hold ups, 
and false cards are common in trump play. The turned 
trump must be carried in the mind until the close of the 
deal. The remembrance of it will often have an important 
bearing upon the play, especially if it be an honor. 

TRUMP EXTRACTION. 

When to lead trumps otherwise than as an original 
lead is a question, the answer to which will depend upon 
existing conditions as ascertainable from the previous 
course of the deal, and the student must learn to exercise 
a sound judgment with the aid of correct inferences. These 
conditions must always be considered in their probable ef- 
fect upon his partner's hand as well as upon his own. 

An established suit, four trumps and a card of reentry, 
may be accepted as a standard holding from which a trump 

(215) 



2i6 Trump Play. 

lead should be made. These elements of strength may be 
in the one hand, or they may be divided between the part- 
ners so that they are capable of being used in conjunction. 
(Vide Deal 27, Tr. 5, p. 219.) 

^;i;.— S'thopensfrom^KJ,io,4;^A,io,9,8,7;(55j,2;<>8,7. 

His suit appears to be a long way from estabhshment, 
and he has no reentry, for which reason he opens it low, 
contrary to the usual rule. On the first trick his partner 
plays the Jack, which is taken by the King. Two rounds of 
Diamonds ensue, the second of which falls to North, who 
is marked with the best card of the suit remaining. He 
leads the Heart Queen to South, clearing his suit. The 
latter having now an established suit and a reentry in his 
partner's hand, wins and leads his trumps. Of course, if 
South has been so absorbed in his own hand that he has 
failed to note the promotion of North's Diamonds, and the 
fact that the fall of the small Hearts marked him with 
another remaining, with which he could reenter South, the 
latter will be oblivious to his opportunity and probably in- 
cur a loss by allowing the Hearts to be continued. Again 

Example. — South opens with the ^ K. North holds 
C^ A, J, 10, 6 ; ^ A, J, 10, 4, 2 ; eg) A, 5, 2 ; <0> 9. North 
takes the trick with the Ace and leads a trump. 

The player who has formed the habit of considering 
the allied hands as part of a whole will always be ready to 
take advantage of evidence that his partner can remedy 
defects in his own holding, and vice versa. 

Example. — South is the original leader. North holds 
C^ K, 10, 8, 6; ^ A, J, 9, 4; 6h A, Q, 10, 6; <> K. Not- 



Trump Play. 217 

withstanding neither suit is established this hand is strong 
enough to lead trumps from, but for its lack of protection 
in Diamonds. If South opens with a low Heart, North 
must continue the suit and await developments, but sup- 
pose South to lead Diamond 3 and North to hold the 
trick, the latter relying upon his partner for sufficient 
strength in Diamonds to prevent the suit being brought in 
against them, goes to trumps at once. 

Four trumps is the average strength, and it is the 
holding from which a lead will most often be made.* When 
but four are held originally it will happen 633 times in 1,000 
that four or more are held adversely. So that in attempt- 
ing trump extraction with such a suit it must not be ex- 
pected that all the adverse trumps will fall. About once in 
three times the opposing hands will be exhausted and two- 
thirds of the times one or more trurnps will remain with the 
adversaries after the third round. In nearly one-half of 
these last unfavorable situations one opponent will be left 
with a single trump. In this case the situation is one of 
the most critical in the game. 

Premise. — South has secured three rounds of trumps 
for the benefit of an established suit of Clubs.. 

Example. — South wins the third round and remains 
with the 9 against the 7 in East's hand, these being the 
only trumps remaining. He leads again, picking up the 
losing card, and brings in his Clubs. 

Example. — South has the 7 and East the 9, and the 
former the lead. He forces East with the Clubs, reenters 
with the thirteenth trump and makes his long cards. 

* statements of probabilities in trumps are generally based on the assumption 
that the trump is declared. 



2l8 



Trump Play. 



Now transpose the words South and East and read 
Diamonds for Chibs in the above examples, and it becomes 
apparent that the suit brought in depends upon the result 
of the third round of trumps. Hence the importance of re- 
taining the command of that suit for the purpose of obtain- 
ing the lead when the trumps have been drawn, or nearly 
so. 

The play must therefore be regulated with a view to 
securing a favorable position on the concluding round. 
It is seldom profitable to win, or attempt to win, the second 
round, if passing it will ensure the winning of the third, 
which is, in a great many cases, the critical trick of the 
suit and the deal. (Vide Deal 13, Tr. 2, p. 169.) 

DKAL NO. 27. 
Unblocking. Retaining Command of Trumps. 
THe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 10, 5, 4. K, 9, 7, 6. A, 8, 2. Q, J, 3. 

fjr A,Q,J,10,4. 3. K, 5, 2. 9,8,7,6. 

4^ K, J. 9, 7, 6. A, 10, 5, 2. Q, 8, 4, 3. 



^ J, 6, 3. 



A, Q, 5, 4, 2. K, 8, 7. 



10, 9. 



TRUMP, CLUB 8. 



LEADER, NORTH. 



AV 



6^ 



3^ 



10 V 



7^ 



6<S> 



2(^ 



K^ 



Trump Play, 



219 



COMMENT. 

TricTcs 1 and 2. — The old lead of Ace, then 10, shows Queen 
and Jack remaining in hand, but does not declare number. But 
even if West's 6 is the commencement of a call for trumps and 
North has opened from four only, South cannot lose by throwing 
the King, in spite of East's renounce on second round. North 
does not inconsiderately conclude that South has no more, but 
perceives that he has retained the 5. 



90 



30 



TO 



A4 



10 



60 



2^ 



KO 



3* 



Kc?) 



24k 



7* 



Qtgj 



J* 



5t§> 



9* 



Trick 5. — South, having four trumps to the Ace. 10, a certain 
reentry in Spades, and a card to put his partner in with, of course 
leads a trump. 

Trick 6. — If East had held both Queen and 9 (the imperfect 
fourchette) he would scarcely have passed the Jack, knowing it 
would almost certainly be finessed; nor would he have trumped 
the doubtful 10 of Hearts. Nevertheless, South properly passes, it 
being necessary to retain full command of the trumps; for he 
cannot force West except by parting with his only Heart. 



Q4 



4^ 



A4i 



54^ 



QQ^ 



4* 



104^ 



40 



Tricks 8 to 13 — South clears the trumps and puts his partner in. 



220 



Trump Play. 
10 4i J^ 

50 



8 (ft 
9^ 


9 

QV 

11 



8^ 



80 



9^ 



3<^ 



10 



5V 



4V 



12 



2* 



7* 



K^i 



J* 



J4 



13 



84^ 



QO 



North and South, nine. 
East and West, four. 



Had South retained the King of Hearts at trick 2, the suit 
could not have been brought in. East, on the contrary, would 
have got reentry with the King of Spades, and made Queen and 
another Diamond; North and South only winning the odd trick. 

Of course, every force will effect the relative strength 
of the different holdings, but a point frequently overlooked 
is that the original probabilities apply with equal force 
after a suit has been reduced by ruffing. The lead from 
four remaining trumps after using one in trumping, is much 
more likely to achieve complete extraction than if the ef- 
fort was made from an original suit of four. In the former 
case the chances of an adverse holding of four or more are 
but 468 in 1,000, as against 633 in the latter. This consid- 
eration will sometimes influence a trump lead which might 
not otherwise be made. 



Trump Play. 22 1 

When a player, who has led trumps for an established 
suit, remains with two, one of which is the master card, 
and two are against him, the situation presents no diffi- 
culties. If the adverse trumps are separate he can pick 
them both up. If they are both with one player he will 
lead once and then force with his suit remaining with the 
long trump for reentry. (Vide Deal lo, Trs. 7 et seq., 
p. 121.) 

Example. — At trick 8, South is in the lead with Ace 
and 6 of Spades and four good Hearts. North is devoid of 
trumps, but two remain with the adversaries. South leads 
the Ace. If it draws both trumps, he makes the remaining 
tricks. If, however, but one falls, leaving a higher than 
the 6 outstanding, South forces the adverse trump with a 
Heart, rufEs the next trick and makes his long cards. 

When the best is not held, it is inadvisable to take 
another round unless both outstanding trumps can be posi- 
tively marked one in each opposing hand. 

Example. — Take the former example, but suppose that 
South' s trumps are the 8 and 6, whilst 10 and 4 remain 
with the opponents. If they can be marked each with a 
trump, South will of course lead one of his losing trumps, 
reenter with the other in the next trick and bring in his four 
Hearts. If, on the other hand, one of the adversaries has, 
or may have both the adverse trumps, South should first 
force with his established suit, when he must make four of 
the remaining tricks. Suppose that South leads a losing 
trump, and finds the master and another, as well as four es- 
tablished Clubs, with an opponent. The latter takes the 
eighth trick, forces, reenters with the thirteenth trump and 



222 Trump Play. 

makes his three Clubs. In one case South takes four 
tricks ; in the other but one. The illustration should be 
carefully studied, because it exemplifies the efiicacy of the 
first force on a holding of equal strength. The principle 
applies at different stages of the deal and under various con- 
ditions. Frequent manifestations of it are afforded by hands 
in which two four-card trump suits are opposed. 

Having but one trump, whether best or otherwise, 
against two outstanding, a player takes a great risk in 
leading it, except in situations which are perfectly clear to 
him. He would, of course, draw the adversaries' trumps 
if certain of his ability to do so, provided his suit was estab- 
lished, or flanked by adequate reentry ; or he might throw 
the lead with a losing trump, if confident that the play 
would result advantageously. As a rule, however, none 
but experts can read the cards sufficiently closely to prac- 
tice such subtle tactics safely. 

Example. — South in the lead at trick 8 has the C^ Q, 
which is the best trump, and the last five Hearts. Two 
trumps remain with the adversaries. South must lead his 
Queen on the assumption that the trumps are divided, as 
that is his only chance of making the Hearts ; for if the two 
trumps are in one hand and he forces it, the opponent will 
in turn compel him to trump and remain with the thirteenth, 
with which to ruff his next Heart lead. 

Example. — Now suppose South to have a losing trump, 
the four last Hearts and the best Club. \i positively able 
to mark a trump with each opponent, he should draw them 
and trust to his Club for early reentry. In case of any 
doubt as to the position of the adverse trumps, South should 



Trump Play. 



223 



force. If the trumps are together, his loser will be picked 
up and he can only make the Club ; if they are separate, he 
stands a good chance of making his trump and the Club. 

Example. — South holds a losing trump, two others be- 
ing adverse. He also has the best, third and fourth best 
Heart and the second best Club, whilst his partner is marked 
with some protection in Spades. He should lead the trump, 
for the benefit of his winning cards and for the purpose of 
throwing the lead. Situations involving the point in ques- 
tion are of frequent occurrence. The correct treatment of 
them must depend upon practice and experience, but the 
student will find the Critical Endings a great aid in training 
the mind in the necessary habit of close calculation. 

The following deal, which was published in the Globe- 
Democrat, affords an excellent illustration of the point. 

DEAL NO. 28. 

Leading a Losing Twelfth Trump. 



NORTH. 



THe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



t^ K, 6. A, Q J, 5, 3. 2. 10, 9, 8, 7, 4. 

Y Q, 10, 7, 6. 9, 2. A, 8, 3. K, J, 5, 4. 

^ A, K, 8, 4. Q, 10, 6, 2. J, 7, 3. 9, 5. 

^ A, 7, 4. 10, 5. K,Q,J,9,6,2. 8, 3. 



TRUMP, CLUB 5. 



LEADER, NORTH. 



THe Play. 



6V 



AO 



4^ 



2^ 



30 



50 



A^ 



J* 



224 



Trump Play. 



COMMENT. 



Tricks 1 to 5, inclusive, fell in the same manner at a number 
of tables where the deal was played in a compass game. 



44^ 



5* 
44^ 


3 
5 



36h 



2<g> 



9* 



10 eg) 



80 



K<g, 



7* 



8* 



3^ 



6c& 



Q* 



Trick 6. — This is the critical point of the deal. North is in 
the lead with the smaller of two remaining trumps, the other being 
with an adversary. He puts East in with the losing trump, mak- 
ing himself last player to the next trick. East must continue with 
Spades (he will, of course, make the Heart King first, if he has it), 
and North has certain reentry wdth his King. 



8^ 



5^ 



7 

74 



A* 



10 



9* 



J^ 



8 

40 

10 



J* 



9<y 



QO 



£♦ 



Trump Play. 



225 





7^ 


7* 


11 


9* 


Q^ 


K<:^ 


13 




24 



34^ 



Q* 



104^ 



lo*::? 



12 



©♦ 



5^ 



North and South, eleven. 
East and West, two. 



Note. — At several tables North stopped the trump extraction 
after trick 5 and returned the Diamond. Where this course v^as 
pursued North and South took but eight tricks. 

Unless the hand is so extraordinarily strong and well 
protected in plain suits as to make persistent trump extrac- 
tion justifiable in the face of a superior adverse holding, 
the lead from fewer than five trumps must necessarily be 
of a tentative character. The advisability of its continu- 
ance will, of course, depend upon the development. The 
fact of partner's weakness, if the distribution appears to be 
otherwise normal, need not be a deterrent ; indeed, under 
certain conditions, it would be an inducement for continu- 
ing. If, for instance, each player followed suit to two 
rounds and the partner could be marked without any more, 
another round from an original four-card suit would gener- 
ally be commendable, as calculated to draw one from each 
opponent, whilst affording partner an informative discard, 
unless the third round would give an adversary the trick 
and leave a losing trump with the leader. When the leader 
remains thus with two losing trumps, which will seldom 
be the case except as the result of poor play, he had better 

15 



226 Trump Play. 

desist from the extraction and endeavor to make his trumps 
by ruffing. 

When two rounds have been taken from an originally 
five-trump suit, and the leader is unable to count the num- 
ber held by his partner, he may be in doubt whether or not 
to lead a third time. If he is playing for a suit in his own 
or his partner's hand, which is established, or nearly so, 
he had better take another round at the risk of drawing a 
long trump from his partner. If, on the other hand, trumps 
have been opened on general principles, and there is no in- 
dication of more than average plain suit strength upon his 
side, he should change to a lay suit. 

As an excessively long trump hand will seldom contain 
a plain suit of more than average strength, it will happen 
not infrequently that after an original lead from such a 
holding, resulting in the depletion of the opposing hands, 
the leader will be at a loss for a continuation. Under such 
circumstances one, or even two, extra rounds of the long 
trumps may be taken in order to learn from partner's dis- 
card where his greatest strength lies, but care must be ex- 
ercised not to deprive the hand of trumps that may be 
necessary for reentries. 

Previous to opening trumps originally for the protec- 
tion of an established suit, or one headed by ace and king^ 
it will often be advantageous to show partner the suit, 
unless it is seven or more cards long, when the first round 
might draw his only card of it. This preliminary informa- 
tive lead is particularly advisable when a trump lead from 
weakness is contemplated at the commencement of the 
deal (at later stages the suit will generally be revealed by 
inference), in which case the high trumps will be led first, 



Trump Play. 227 

and partner is more likely to be in the lead when the ex- 
traction is completed. The exception is in the case of the 
lone ace of trumps, which cannot entail the possibility of 
losing the lead. 

Whilst bold, decisive, trump play is recommended 
when the conditions warrant, it is not to be supposed that 
rash speculative leads will result in anything but loss in the 
long run. 

A rather more forward game than usual may be played 
to avoid a force on a four-trump holding, but when the 
hand has a particularly vulnerable point, such as a suit in 
which no protection is held, and there is no indication of 
the distribution, the trump lead is very risky. 

Ex.-Q, K, Q, 9, 3; ^ A, Q, J, 9> 6, 5; c?d A; K, Q. 

Here the Hearts are not established, but if the leader 
waits to put them in the condition of establishment he 
seriously hazards his chance of bringing in the suit, for it Is 
highly probable that he will be forced before the trumps 
can be extracted. 

Ex.-{^ K, Q, 9, 3; ^ A Q, J, 9, 6, 5; c?D A; 4, 2. 

Here one suit is defenseless, and the trump opening 
would be better deferred until more light can be thrown 
upon the situation. 

Leads from weak trump holdings should only be made 
to protect excessive plain suit strength, including all-round 
protection, or for the purpose of interrupting a cross-rufif. 

A player sometimes holds a great suit with little or 
no protection in the others, and insufficient trumps to jus- 
tify a lead from them. It may be dangerous to lead more 
than one round of the suit and the most informative and 



228 Trump Play. 

effective play will be one lead from strength, followed by 
one from weakness. If the play is resorted to only when 
an established suit unsupported by reentry and with weak 
trumps is held, it can cause no doubt nor difficulty to the 
partner. 

Ex.—^Q,^,^. ^ A, K,Q, 10,4,3,2. cfc8. <> 5, 2. 

If the suit consisted of but five .or six cards it would 
be better to continue it on the chance of forcing the strong 
adverse trump hand, for precise information imparted gen- 
erally, before the condition of partner's hand is known, is 
of doubtful expediency. Exact knowledge of the strength 
and weakness of the opening hand may be of the utmost 
value to the adversaries. 

Even with five trumps, unless they contain two honors 
at least, it is hazardous to attempt trump extraction if the 
hand has a particularly weak spot. 

Example. —Soui)i holds {^ Q, 9, 8, 7, 5 ; 9? A, Q. J; 
c2d A, K, 6, 3 ; A. West opens w^th the <> 6 ; North 
plays 4 ; East, Q ; South takes the trick with his only 
Diamond. North may have considerable strength in the 
suit, but if not, South may be aiding the opposition by 
drawing the trumps. 

A further examination of the situation will be instruc- 
tive. Having decided not to open the trumps. South may 
reason thus : "I must learn more about the other hands, 
and especially my partner's. ]My Ace and King of Clubs 
are not likely to elicit any definite information, and the 
play of them will seriously impair my strength and prob- 
ably leave the command of the suit with the adversaries. 
If I lead a low Club it is unlikely that second hand will play 



Trump Play. 229 

high, and ahnost an even chance that North will hold the 
trick, and my long trumps minimize the risk of losing one 
of the honors as a result of holding them up. If West takes 
the trick, he will continue with a Diamond, which North 
may take, but which will probably force me; even so, I shall 
have ascertained how the suit Hes, and if my partner ex- 
hibits strength in it, shall be strong enough to lead after 
the force. If East gets into the lead he w411 return his part- 
ner's suit, for he can have no better play ; this w411 give an 
opportunity to discard a small Club, showing trump 
strength, on a trick wdiich my partner has a considerable 
prospect of winning." This is an illustration of reason 
versus rule. An experienced player would take less time 
to draw these deductions than it takes to read them. The 
student is advised to practice a similar process of reasoning 
in connection with other illustrations. The exercise w^ill 
develop the perceptive faculties, and in less time than he 
would imagine possible, he w'ill be able to reach like con- 
clusions wdth rapidity and precision. 

Apart from an inference deduced from a knowledge 
of partner's holding, that a trump lead w^ould be accept- 
able to him, intimations of that fact, more or less per- 
emptory in their character, will be conveyed by his play. 

When a player fails to ruff an adverse winning card, it 
is an almost certain indication that he washes trumps led to 
him. 

Example. — North opens with the <J> A ; East discards 
the ^ 6, and the other players follow suit. 

East's passing the trick denotes that he holds four or 
five trumps, or perhaps a weak suit, including two or three 



230 Tnunp Play. 

honors. With six or more trumps he woiikl be strong 
enough to ruff and lead. It is of eourse possible that he has 
no trump, but probabiHties are the basis of Whist tactics. 
It may also be inferred that he wishes to conserve his 
strength for the protection of good cards, in his own or his 
partner's hand, and the latter should make every effort to 
save him from being again subjected to a force, and must 
lead a trump on the first opportunity. 

W^hen a player refrains from ruffing a doubtful trick, 
he is marked with at least four trumps or two honors, for 
otherwise he w^ould be glad of the chance to make his weak 
trumps. 

Example, — North opens with the ^ J; East discards 
the c§) 6 ; South plays the ^ A, and West the ^ 5. 

In this case East's discard upon a trick which there is 
no more than an even chance of his partner taking, is not, 
in itself, a sufTiicient justification for a trump lead on the 
part of West, but in connection with other favorable con- 
ditions it should carry great weight toward influencing such 
action. 

W^hen a player makes a free discard, (that is, one which 
is not controlled by arbitrary conditions,) of a high card, 
his partner should generally infer that the lead of a trump 
would be acceptable to him. 

Example. — North leads. 

A* 

4(55 1 90 

6c& 



Trump Play. 231 

It does not necessarily follow from East's discard that 
he is commencing a signal (vide Trump Signal belowj, but 
if not, he can have but few Diamonds, and those must be 
high ones. The balance of his holding is made up of two 
suits, one of which is trumps. It is highly probable that 
under such conditions a trump lead would be favorable to 
East's hand. The play does not, however, entail a per- 
emptory command, and West's action is amenable to his 
ow'n judgment. 

It will be noticed that the foregoing examples are all 
framed on the early tricks of the deal. At later stages the 
inferences involved in them do not apply with equal pre- 
cision. The play of the hand, which is presumably indicat- 
ing a desire for a trump lead, must be considered in rela- 
tion to all the available facts. A high discard may be made 
to protect an honor in another suit, or for the purpose of 
unblocking. A refusal to ruff may be due to a wish to 
avoid the lead, and after trumps have been broached may 
have a variety of significance. Partner may force, in view 
of a prospective cross-ruff, or in the face of a trump call 
by an adversary. Several other causes will account for 
plays, which early in the deal might be construed with prob- 
ability as indicative of trump strength. 

A player may expHcitly convey a demand or a request 
for an immediate lead of trumps from his partner by the 
employment of a conventional method of play, which is 
termed the 

Trump Signal. — This, one of the oldest of recognized 
conventions, originated in a logical and intelHgent effort 
to induce a trump lead or a change of suit from an adver- 



232 Trump Play. 

sary. The modern "call" is foreshadowed in ^lathews's 
:^Iaxim 88. 

South is given the following hand : ^ A, K, Q, 5, 4 ; 
^ K, 5 ; c& Q, 3 ; A, K, Q, 8 (trumps.) 

^^'est, the original leader, opens with the Club King. 
'Tt is so very material," says ^Mathews, ''for South to get 
the lead before he is forced, that he should, without hesita- 
tion, throw down the Queen as the most likely method to 
induce the adversary to change the lead.'' 

To extend ]\Iathews's example: West, undeterred by 
the fall of the honor, continues the Clubs. Xorth seeing 
the 3 fall from his partner's hand surmises the purport of 
the ruse, and as soon as possible opens trumps. 

From this impromptu coup to an established conven- 
tion was a natural transition, which was not, however, ef- 
fected until fifty years later. 

The trump signal consists in playing an unnecessarily 
high card and next a lower one. 



Example. — North leads. 






KV 


AV 


7^ 


1 


2,^ 


9^ 


2 



6^ 



4^ 2^ 



South, by playing the 4 and then the 2, called for 
trumps. 

The signal may be made with high cards in sequence, 
or of equal value, whilst endeavoring to hold the trick. 



Q^ 







Tramp Play. 




233 


Example. — North leads. 




3 V Q* 


6¥ 


I 


1 


5^ 8d|k 


2 


4* 


A^ 


3 7^ 



J ^ 7 c5d 10 ^ 



By reversing the usual order of playmg indifferent 
cards, South has conveyed a request to have trumps led. 

It will sometimes happen, a trump signal having been 
commenced, that before it can be completed the deal will 
develop along lines unfavorable to the contemplated trump 
lead. In such a case the signal may be masked by playing 
the card above that with which it was started. When the 
lowest card falls an observant partner will not read it as a 
call, but he will perceive the original intention and will 
infer trump strength from it. 

Example. — North having (^ 9) 7) 3. begins a signal 
by playing the 7. The suit is interrupted, and when it is 
resumed North is no longer desirous that his partner shall 
lead trumps. He conceals his former intention b}" playing 
the 9, and when the suit is next led he must play the 3. 
Note that although he first dropped an unnecessarily high 
card, he did not next play a low^er one. A similar order 
may be followed in unblocking, (q. v.) 

The trump signal should be resorted to only under 
pronouncedly favorable, or urgent circumstances. The 
abuse of this convention by mediocre players is a most 
prolific source of losses. (Mde Deal 29, Trs. i and 2, p. 
234.) The demand conveyed by the call is peremptory in 
early stages of the deal, and should be complied with by the 



234 



Trump Play. 



partner upon the first opportunity. It requires him to 
abandon all plans for the disposition of his own hand and 
to subordinate it to that of the signaller. It follows that 
a signal for trumps should never be made by a player un- 
less he is reasonably confident of his ability to control in 
the main the subsequent course of the deal and to assure 
a favorable issue from the trump lead. 

The following deal was recorded, from actual play, 
in Whist for July, 1900: 

DKAi, NO. 29. 

Rash Trump Call. Bad Short Suit Lead. False Card. 

TKe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4^ J, 7, 3. K,8,6,5,4,2. A, Q. 10, 9. 

V 9, 7. 8, 6. J, 10. A,K,Q,5,4,3,2. 

4k A, 9, 7, 6. K, Q, J, 2. 10, 8, 4, 3. 5. 

^ A, K, Q, 10. 7. J, 9, 4, 3, 2. 8, 6, 5. 



TRUMP, CLUBS DECLARED. 



LEADER, EAST. 



9* 



7* 



Q^ 



The Play. 



2* 



A^ 



9^ 



JV 



6^ 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — North's call is ill-judged. His hand might be strong 
enough for a trump lead after the indication of a Spade reentry 
with South, but it is certainly not strong enough to warrant an 
imperative command to his partner to lead trumps. This dis- 



Trump Play. 



235 



tinction is not sufficiently appreciated by the mass of players. 
North may mask his signal by putting the Jack on the second 
round, at the risk of a trick and with the likelihood of deceiving 
his partner, who would naturally suppose that he held no more 
of the suit. 

Trick 2. — South's continuation is very unsound. He has a 
suit, which, although headed by the Jack, is unusually strong by 
reason of its length. It is supported by four trumps and a 
reentry. The lead of a short suit under such conditions, where a 
force is to be avoided, cannot be justified. West false-cards in 
covering, in order to deceive North as to the character of the lead. 
The latter, supposing his partner to have opened Hearts from the 
tierce to King, properly commences a second signal and one which 
cannot be suppressed. 





3Q> 


10 4^ 


3 




A^i 



4* 



5* 



A6h 



2c§) 



3* 



Trick 4. — South is of course conscious that his partner may 
have a false impression as to the distribution of the Hearts. He 
leads trumps, nevertheless, because the signal was started before 
the Hearts were broached. 



3^ 



64, 



4* 



J* 



50 



V* 



8* 



Q* 



Trick 5.— The (U'hdcle is now inevitable. North and South do 
not take another trick. The deal is a good illustration of the loss 
of five tricks, owing to the rash eagerness of North to play for one 
suit and the deception resultant upon an unwise short-suit lead. 
North was too ready to draw a precise inference from the Heart. 
Jack, considering that it was not an original lead. 



236 Trump Play. 



10 6h 



K* 



20 



7^ 



2^ 



8* 



30 



10 



4^ 10 



6* 



10 (^ 



QO 



5^ 



11 



5* 



40 



KO 



Q^ 



12 



8¥ 



9<> 



AO 



KV 



70 



JO 



East and West, ten. 
North and South, three. 



The errors in the foregoing play and their results are 
rendered more apparent by the subjoined overplay. 



OVERPLAY. 



3^ 



QO 



9* 



1 24k 



Q* 



50[ 2 

24 



70 



Trump Play. 



237 



64, 



56h 



J* 



4* 





7* 


10 4^ 


4 




A<^ 



4* 



COMMENT. 



Trlclc 3. — South is marked with Ace or King- of Spades, which 
justifies North in a tentative trump lead. He can stop the ex- 
traction on the second round if the development is unfavorable. 

South commences an echo to show four trumps. 



Ac& 



J* 



3^ 



2cfc 



2^ 



K4i 



3* 



8* 



Trick 5 — The previous round marked East, with the King and 
Queen of trumps, thus enabling North to place every card of the 
suit. He has a certainty of drawing the Queen with the 7 and 
retaining command, and since he is not desirous of continuing the 
trumps, that would appear to be the correct play. A brief consid- 
eration of the situation decides him, however, to put up the Ace, 
which enables him to give his partner an immediate rufif, and the 
latter can return a Diamond, forcing East, and making North's 
the long trump holding. 

South completes his echo in this trick and West begins a 
"reverse discard" to indicate strength in Hearts. 



60 



KO 

7 

34 

9^ 



Qcfc 



Q^ 



AV 



6^ 



KV 



7^ 

8 



10 
10 



8V 



54^ 



J^ 



10 c& 



238 



Trump Play. 



8<> 



AO 



11 



4^ 



K<5> 



4^ 



7* 



12 



9<^ 



8* 



5^ 



94^ 



JO 



Q^ 



North and South, eight. 
East and West, five. 



The use of the call for trumps will be in reciprocal 
ratio to the development of Whist perception in the player. 
The adept dispenses with it save in exceptional circum- 
stances, and places equally slight dependence upon it as 
an intimation of his partner's needs. 

No rules can be laid down for the use of the trump 
signal. Its appropriateness must depend upon the situa- 
tion rather than the hand. (Vide Deal 30, Tr. i, p. 239.) 

A safe restrictive rule may be stated thus : You should 
not call for trumps, unless, if you were in the lead, you would 
open them. 

If the student will turn back to the article upon The 
Original Lead from Trumps, and re-read it, he will find 
that, with the exception of the section on Split Hands, the 
text and examples will apply with equal force to the signal 
for trumps. At later stages of the deal, doubt as to the ad- 
visability of calling can generally be settled by the mental 
query: ''Would I lead trumps if I were in?" 



Trump Play. 



239 



DKAI. NO. 30. 



Five-trump Hand Refraining irom Signalling, Re- 
turning a Trump Lead through the Strong Hand. End 
play. 



NORTH. 



TKe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4^7,6,5,4,2. A,K,Q,J,10. 9,8. 

if None. J, 9, 5, 3, 2. A, Q, 8, 4. 

4, K, 10, 7, 6. J, 4. A, Q, 5, 2. 

^ 9, 8, 7, 3. A. K, J, 5. 



K, 10, 7, 6. 

9, 8, 3. 

Q, 10, G, 4, 2. 



TRUMP, HEART JACK. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



3c& 



Kc§D 



2* 



4c& 



8& 



64k 



Qcg) 



J* 



COMMENT. 

Tncfc 1. — East will not signal for trumps, because it would be 
not only useless, but dangerous to do so. If he did, the adversaries 
would probably be in the lead on the trick following his call and 
force him. On the other hand, if he refrains from warning South, 
that player will either lead trumps for the protection of the Clubs 
or switch to another suit, in which case East must get in. 



7cSb 



24^ 



6^ 



9^ 



10 (J? 



2V 



4V 



8^ 



TricTc 3. — The continuation is all that East could wish and 
much more advantageous than a trump lead from his partner would 
have been. South is justified in the lead. He has a good four- 



240 



Trump Play. 



trump suit and protection in Diamonds. He cannot afford to 
allow East, who may be weak, to ruff the Clubs, and neither Spades 
nor Diamonds afford a desirable lead. North discards a useless 
Club. 

East overtakes his partner's trick in order to lead through 
South, up to the honor which West holds. 

Trick 4. — South might put in the Ace and remain with the 
guarded second-best; he prefers to pass the trick, having no de- 
sirable lead. Since there must be a five-trump holding against 
him it would be futile to force with the Club. His trumps and 
Diamonds being in tenace he cannot do better than become fourth 
player to the next trick. 

North's discard is not directive, but it is protective as far as 
that is possible in such a hand. He cannot take a trick in Spades, 
but the Diamonds, if kept intact, may be of some service. 



4* 



54^ 



3* 



10 4i 



K^ 



3¥ 



8* 



Q^ 



Trick 5. — In view of the fact that he holds five Diamonds, 
North decides that the Spade is likely to find his partner's greatest 
strength. ^Moreover, by getting rid of the 3. he precludes the 
possibility of his partner leading a low card up to it, and puts 
himself in a position to ruff the suit. 

Trick 6. — South cannot tell on which side of him the King 
lies, and he takes the chance of two tricks, which involves no loss 
in case of failure. 



10<§) 



Q<i> 



QJk 



5(3? 



20 



A4 



A(§) 



9^ 



Trick 7. — West can mark his partner with two trumps and 
exceptional strength in Spades. The lead of a Diamond may put 
South in and enable him to pick up two trumps and force the 
other, but if West forces East with the Club, the latter will be 
able to force South with the Spades or to allow West to ruff them. 



Trump Play. 



241 



Trick 8. — East plays the commanding card at this stage to 
prevent his partner from trumping, as he might if the suit was 
opened in the usual manner. 



7^ 



3^ 



40 



K* 



QO 



10 



J^ 



A^ 



54k 



Trick 10.— West might make his trump on the Club, but if he 
did so he would have to lead a Diamond and possibly give the 
adversaries a trick. East is almost certainly marked with two 
winning Spades, and if West allows him to enter with his trump 
and make them, West will be enabled to discard both his Diamonds 
and trump his partner's card of that suit, which, although it hap- 
pens to be the Ace, was much more likely to be a lower card. 



7 



80 



10 



11 



Q4 



QO 



12 



J4 



50 
90 



JO 



T^ 



13 



A^ 



East and West, ten. 
North and South, three. 



KO 



Note. — The hands in this deal are identical with those of the 
convention deal in the Introduction, page 21. The student will 
find a comparison of the different methods instructive. 

A turned honor to right or left should not act as a 
prime inducement or deterrent. Of course, the trump must 
be taken into account, but it can not be sufficient for the 
basis of a decision. 

One of the most unsound conventions extant, happily 
losing its vogue, is the signal by the leader for his partner 

IG 



242 Trump Play. 

to play through an honor turned. It is utterly con- 
demnable if the leader's hand is not one which justifies a 
trump opening, and if that is the case trumps should be 
led at once, despite the turned honor. 

It is seldom advisable to signal upon the opponent's 
lead, especially when his card is one likely to hold the 
trick, as any honor is. (Deal 31, Tr. i, p. 248.) 

If, after the completion of the signal, the lead is still 
with the adversaries, they will use every effort to profit by 
the revelation of strength. This may be done by forcing 
the signalling hand, establishing a ruff on their own side, 
"running" with their winning cards, or leading through the 
strong hand. If the call may be masked, however, the 
danger of ill effects is minimized. So in general, an im- 
portant consideration in making a trump signal is the prob- 
ability of partner being in the lead on the trick following its 
execution. 

THE TRUMP ECHO. 

This device was introduced by "Cavendish" in 1874, 
to enable the partner of a player leading or calling for 
trumps to announce four or more held by him. The 
echo is effected in exactly the same way as the trump 
signal, but either in plain suits or trumps. To illustrate : 
South completes a signal upon a trick, which falls to an 
opponent, who continues with a plain suit. North, when 
following, repeats his partner's call. Or South leads 
trumps, and North plays an unnecessarily high one and 
then a lower. 

The general practice, until within recent years, was to 
echo on partner's lead of trumps, when holding four or 



Trump Play. 243 

more, by playing the third best when not attempting to 
take the trick. The echo to show three was introduced 
by Dr. H. E. Greene, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1895, 
and has been accepted by the majority of American play- 
ers. Since 1895 various forms of this echo have been 
in use. At first it was used to show three or more in 
following suit with lower cards to a lead from a high card 
sequence only. Since such a lead means either three high 
cards, or unusual length, in the leader's hand, the danger 
of third hand's having to sacrifice a valuable card as the 
intermediate of three was minimized. Devices were 
shortly afterward introduced by Alessrs. Fisher Ames and 
Milton C. Work, whereby it was proposed to distinguish 
between three and more than three. The following is the 
mode of Three Echo in general use at present : 

In playing under a high card tabled by either leader 
or second hand, (/. c, when making no attempt to win 
the trick,) third hand, holding three exactly, plays the 
middle card, completing the signal by dropping his lowest 
on the next round, or by ruiihng with it, if opportunity 
occurs. 

Holding more or fewer than three, third hand, under 
similar circumstances, plays lowest on first round. When 
he has thus denied three exactly, a subsequent echo in a 
plain suit announces more than three; an omission to so 
echo announces fewer than three. One advantage of this 
plan is that if the lead turns out to be from weakness, 
third hand can refrain from informing opponents whether 
he held more or fewer than three. 

The argument usually advanced in favor of the three 
echo is that the partner of a trump leader will more often 



244 



Trump Play. 



hold three trumps than four or more, and will thus be 
able to specify his exact holding in a greater number of 
cases. From the Tables of Probabilities the following 
results are obtainable. 



THIRD HAND HOLDS 



Fewer than three 
Three exactly . 
More than three . 



LEAD FROM 
FOUR. 



LEAD FROM 
FIVE. 



LEAD FROM 

SIX. 



353 
311 
336 



In 1000 



456 
306 

238 



1000 



571 times. 
278 " 
151 " 



1000 



The tables in question do not allow for a turned 
trump. Assuming that the eldest hand is leading trumps, 
and taking into account a trump turned by the dealer, the 
above figures require to be modified as follows: 



THIRD HAND HOLDS 


LEAD FROM 
FOUR. 


LEAD FROM 
FIVE. 


LEAD FROM 
SIX. 


Fewer than three 


432 
311 
257 


549 
287 
164 


672 times. 

238 " 
90 - 


Three exactly 

More than three 






In 1000 


1000 


1000 " 



The real point at issue, however, is not how often a 
player may echo, but which form of echo conveys the 
more valuable information. The earlier system of three 
echo to show three or more has in one respect an advan- 
tage over that showing three exactly. In the forriier case 
the play of lowest on the first round gives definite in- 



Trump Play. 245 

formation of fewer than three. After two rounds are 
played, this inference is certain (even if the opponents 
have played false small cards), and it is often of consid- 
erable value to the leader, either as directing him to draw 
two for one and give partner a discard, or as warning 
him of numerical strength in the hand of an adversary. 

If third hand, after commencing the signal, has to win 
or try to win the trick, no definite information is given; 
on the contrary, the leader may be misled. 

Example — Norths A,9,6 ; East, 7,5; South, K,Q, 10,3; 
West, J, 8, 4, 2. 

South leads the king; West plays the 2; North the 
9; East the 5. South continues with the 3; West plays 
the 4; North the ace; East the 7. If North does not lead 
out a third round, South probably concludes that he has 
no more. 

There may also be an ambiguity if third hand, holding 
three exactly, has the lead on the second round. 

Example — North, J, 8, 4; East, A, 9, 7, 6; South, K, 
Q, 10, 5; West, 3, 2. 

South leads the king; West plays the 2; North the 
8; East wins with the ace. 

On the second round, North, having the lead, must 
return the jack and cannot complete his echo. 

In cases where third hand's higher card is not high 
enough to be of value to the original leader, it is better 
to depart from ancient convention, and to complete the 
echo at once by returning the lower card: 

Example. — North, 7, 4, 3 ; East, A, 8, 6; South, K, 
Q, 10, 5 ; West, J, 9, 2 ; where North plays the 4 under the 



246 Trump Play. 

king led, and, later on, returns the 3. He is then marked 
with exactly one card remaining higher than the 4. 

HIGH CARD ECHO. 

This echo is only used to show four or more. Say 
third hand holds ace, king, 5, 4. On a small card led, he 
plays ace and returns king. Holding jack, 10, 9, 3, if try- 
ing to win the trick, he would play the 10 on first round 
and w^ould play or return the 9 on second. 

In either case he is read by the leader as holding tw^o 
more trumps at least, the denominations of which may 
be deducible from the fall. 

When third hand holds ace, king, this form of echo 
is free from all objections. If he holds king, queen, and 
does not win the trick, the leader is left in temporary 
doubt as to the position of the queen. If the usual rule 
for sequences be followed, and third hand plays king won 
by ace, the leader knows that the queen is adverse; but 
where the high card echo is in use, there can never be 
certainty on the first round. 

Example. — North, K, Q, 4, 3 ; East, A, 10, 2 ; South, 
J, 9, 8, 7 ; West, 6, 5. 

South leads the 7; West plays the 5; North the king; 
East the ace. Regaining the lead, South continues with 
the 8; West plays the 6; North the queen; East the 2. 
South now knows that there is one losing trump against 
him at most. 

Transfer the queen from North's hand to East's, and 
South, on the second round, will be leading up to the 
major tenace. But for the convention of echo he would 



Trump Play. 247 

in such a case have been fully aware that an opponent 
must hold the queen, possibly the 10 also. 
Or, again: 

Example. — North, Q, 8, 2 ; East, A, J, 6 ; South, K, 
10, 7, 3; West, 9, 5, 4. 

South leads the 3; North's queen falls to the ace. 
In simple whist, South now knows that the jack is ad- 
verse, and (unless there is urgency) will probably wait 
for North to lead the second round. If the high card 
echo be in use. South has no such warning. 

When third hand holds king, queen, and has begun 
an echo, the queen must in any case be either played or 
led by him on the second round, and it is generally con- 
ceded that the balance of advantage is in favor of the echo. 

With lowxr sequences than king, queen, since, to be 
effective, the echo must be completed on the second 
round, a further fundamental rule of whist must be often 
violated and the leader's partner has to return the highest 
of three cards. If the lead happens to be from numerical 
weakness, loss of a trick may ensue: 

Example. — North, Q, J, 6,5; East, A, K, 3 ; South, 
7, 2 ; West, 10, 9, 8, 4. 

South, wdth strong plain suits, leads his 7 of trumps; 
North plays the queen won by East. North, regaining 
the lead, returns the jack, and North and South do not 
take a trick in trumps. In simple whist, jack would be 
played first round, and the 5 returned would be won by 
East, when the queen is safe. 

Loss may also result from the completion of a high 
card echo in following suit: 



248 



Trump Play. 



Example. — North, J, lo, 6, 5; East, A; South, K, Q, 
8, 2 ; West, 9, 7, 4, 3. 

South leads the 2; North's jack is won by the ace. 
South, regaining the lead, plays the king; North throws 
the 10; and West's 9 is made good for the fourth round. 

It is admitted by Mr. Mihon C. Work that the high 
card echo with queen, jack, unless under restrictions, is 
''rather dangerous and cannot be advised." The authors 
of this book recommend ordinary play in all cases, except 
with ace, king, or king, queen, considering that with 
other combinations no sufhciently strong advantages have 
been shown to justify a departure therefrom. 

Illustrations of the Echo will be found in Deal 2, Trs. 
6 and 7, p. 52; Deal 31, Tr. 3, p. 248, etc. 

DEAL NO. 31. 

Trump Call. The Echo in Ruffing 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

4 9, 8, 5, 2. J, 4. A, Q, 10, 7, 3. K, 6. 

if 8, 2. Q, 7, 4. J, 10, 6. A, K, 9, 5, 3. 

*K,9,7,5,3. Q, J, 8, 6, 4. A, 2. 10. 

^ A, 5. K, 7, 2. 9, 8, 4. Q, J, 10, 6, 3. 



TRUMP, SPADE 3. 



LEADER, WEST. 



2^ 



KV 



4^ 



8^ 



AV 



7^ 



10^ 



6^ 



Trump Play. 



249 



COMMENT. 

Tricks 1 and 2. — South, holding five trumps with two honors, 
and the master Club, calls by playing 10 of Hearts under West's 
King. The soundness of the play may be questioned in view of the 
weakness in Hearts and Diamonds and the adversary's lead of 
a winning card. 



5* 



3V 



QV 



^^ 



J^ 



2* 



4^ 



Q^ 



Triclc 3. — North does not take any risks on the Queen of 
Hearts, but promptly trumps the doubtful trick with his lowest 
but one. When the deuce is declared, South will be able to read 
four trumps at least in his hand. 

Triclc 4. — Although North's numerical strength has been de- 
stroyed by the rufif, he leads the lowest of his three remaining 
trumps.* It is important to complete the echo at the earliest pos- 
sible moment; South will thus have exact knowledge when 
he first has to play, and any attempts at false-carding by the 
opponents will be futile. 



AO 



Q4 



20 



40 





9* 


Q^ 


6 




A4i 



J^ 



Trick 5. — West might here try the 10 of Clubs for a rufif before 
his small trump is drawn. This would pre-suppose that East can 
win the trick and can at once return it. Against there is the risk 
of taking a needed reentry from East's hand. Besides, having 
good Hearts and Diamonds, West can hardly hope for good 
Clubs also. A force might be attempted with the long Hearts, 
but this would probably sacrifice any trump defense that East 
may retain. On the whole, the best course seems to be to resort 

*This is contrary to the advice of "Ciavendish,"' but the authors believe 
that the objection to it is offset by the advantage of tlie early declaration 
of number conveyed by the echo (vide The Echo, p. 242). 



250 



Trump Play, 



to the known strength in Diamonds; the King may be hemmed 
in if the cards lie luckily. 

Trick 6. — On second round, North leads the higher of two 
remaining, according to the usual rule. After this trick. South 
is certain that North holds the only trump not in his own hand. 
But for this certainty, he might suppose West to have it, and 
might lead out the lo. 



10* 



3 eg. 

7 |4c§3 



5^ 



A4> 



K6h 



2* 



6<53 



Trick 7. — The object being to make the trumps separately, 
South correctly leads his shortest suit. When North gets the 
lead he must pursue the same policy. Any long suit in either 
hand will be more valuable if led by the opponents. 

Tricks 8 to 13. — The rest is easy. East and West can only 
tak- one trick in Diamonds. 



9^ 



34 



JO 



5^ 



9 


34^ 


s^ 


11 



90 

96h 



13 



86h 



K<> 



Q* 



10 4 



10 



60 



50 



10 



&♦ 



V* 



12 



■^^ 



70 



J*. 



North and South, nine. 
East and West, four. 



Trump Play. 251 

Second Hand Play in Trumps may be more backward 
than in lav suits for the same reason that actuates the 
leader in holding back his high cards, that is, a desire to 
retain the command ; with a weak holding, however, second 
hand should generally cover. If the lead is from strength 
the majority of high cards are likely to be to his right, and 
he may save one to his partner's hand ; if it is from weak- 
ness, he frustrates the leader's purpose of giving his part- 
ner a finesse. 

The rules for covering in plain suits apply in general 
to trumps, consistently with the consideration that the lat- 
ter suit cannot be ruf¥ed. 

Honors, once guarded in trumps, stand a better chance 
of making by being put in second hand on the first trick, 
but the play of them under such conditions is apt to reveal 
the weakness of the hand. 

Occasions will occur when an opponent's lead of 
trumps is to the advantage of second hand, and under such 
circumstances it should never be interrupted. This admo- 
nition may appear to be superfluous, but it is a fact that a 
great many players, and particularly beginners, fail to 
make allowance for opponent's errors of judgment, but take 
it for granted that the line of action adopted must be the 
most favorable for the aggressive party, and one which in 
consequence should be thwarted. The reverse is very often 
the case. 

An effective and disconcerting play is to allow an ad- 
versary to take out two or three rounds of trumps and 
then to play in, secure the trick and draw his last trump or 
force him, remaining with the last or master card of the 
suit. 



252 



Trump Play. 



The subjoined deal is from actual play, and affords an 
excellent illustration of the retention of the command of 
trumps on an adverse lead. 

DKAi, NO. 32. 

Retaining Command of Trumps. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

4^A,K,Q,J,5. 10, 8, 6, 3. 9,4,2. 7. 

V J, 10, 8, 2. 9, 6. K, 7, 4. A, Q, 5, 3. 

*9, 6, 2. J, 10. 6. A,K,Q,8, 7,4,3. 

^A. K,Q,10,8,5. J, 9, 7,6,4,2. 3. 



TRUMP, HEART 3. 



LEADER, NORTH. 



2¥ 



3^ 



K<^ 



e^ 



8^ 
Q^l 2 |9^ 



7V 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — North's lead, which in accordance with the system 
of American Leads (q. v.), marks him with exactly four in suit, 
and makes West's play so easy that it can hardly be called a coup. 
He has only to hold up on the first trick and he is assured of 
three rounds of trumps, after which it only remains to force North's 
last trump with the established suit, reenter with the thirteenth 
and make the rest of the Clubs. 



io(;:? 



A V 



5^ 



2cSb 



A Jk 



10c§3 



4^ 



6cgj 



K^ 



Trump Play. 



24^ 



4* 



253 



3^ 



B4> 



J^ 



Q^ 



6^ 



7* 



A* 



20 



84^ 



5^ 



K* 



4^ 



10 4i 



V* 



&♦ 



10 



QO 



8^ 



44k 



3f 



J^ 



11 



70 
AO 



13 



JO 



10 



KO 



3* 



Q* 



12 



90 



QO 



East and West, nine. 
North and South, four. 



Note. — At the other table where the deal was played, West 
took the first trick and continued with the Queen and 3, allowing 
North to secure the critical third round and draw the last trump, 
with the result that the Spades were brought in instead of the 
Clubs, making a gain of four tricks. 

It will be advisable on occasions to continue an 
adverse trump lead, especially when the original opener 



254 Trump Play. 

may be led through (vide Deal 30, Tr. 4, p. 239), but a 
player should be sure of his ground before attempting such 
a coup. Tactics of this description are most feasible 
against an antagonist who is employing the American 
Leads, which give precise information of the number held. 

Example. — South leads C^ 4; West, holding ^ K, Q, 
3, 2; ^ Q, 9, 3; eg) A, 10, 4; K, 9, 2, plays low. South 
has opened a split hand, or from five on general principles, 
for West's hand precludes the possibility of the former 
having an established suit. With all round protection and 
the inability to ruff any suit, trump extraction is likely to 
accrue to the benefit of West. Moreover, if he took the lead, 
he would have to continue with a weak suit, giving South 
the advantage of position and probably strengthening his 
hand. Opportunities of holding up in this manner will fall 
to fourth hand, but less frequently, because he stands in 
danger of being finessed against on the return. 

Third Hand Play in the Trump Suit should be chiefly 
with the object of aiding the leader in exhausting the ad- 
versaries and at the same time informing him of the 
strength, particularly as regards number, held on the other 
side of the table. On his partner's lead from strength the 
only finesse that should be taken third hand is that from 
the major tenace. In all other cases the best card should 
be played. (It is no finesse to put in jack from king, jack, 
the queen being turned by right hand adversary or partner ; 
and under the same condition the jack played from ace, 
jack would be equivalent to the major tenace finesse.) 

The best method for third hand play of the major ten- 



Trump Play. 255 

ace in trumps is believed to be that practiced by the Wal- 
brook Whist Chib, of Baltimore, which is as follows : 

With ace and queen only, the ace is played to the first 
round and the queen returned. 

With ace, queen and one other, the queen is finessed, 
and the suit continued with the ace. 

From a holding of four or more cards, including the 
major tenace, the ace is put upon the first trick and a low 
card returned. 

It is hardly necessary to add that the turned trump 
and the card led may induce a departure from these rules. 

The return is governed by the same rules as those 
applying to plain suits, except that a finessing card in se- 
quence may be led through an honor on the left (as jack, 
10, through a queen), regardless of number remaining. 

Exa77iple. — North, ^ A, 8, 7, 3; East, ^ 9, 4; South, 
C^ K, J, 10, 2; West, C^ Q, 6, 5. North leads 3; East plays 4; 
South, K; West, 5. If South returns J (Q being turned) 
the Q cannot make. If he returns 2, Q or 9 takes a trick. 
The advantage of the irregular return depends upon the 
sequence. In the following distribution a trick would be 
lost by the return of the J: North, ^ A, 9, 7, 3; East, C^ 
10, 8, 4; South, C^ K, J, 6, 2; West, C^ Q, 5. 

When partner has made a tentative lead, third hand 
may finesse more freely, and upon a weak lead there is no 
limit to his play in that respect consistent with good judg- 
ment. 

A partner's lead of trumps should generally be re- 
turned upon the first opportunity. Our grandfathers were 
wont to express their estimate of the weight of the obHga- 



256 Trump Play. 

tion in the jocular statement that faihire to comply with the 
rule was excusable only upon the ground of "sudden death 
or having- none." 

Latter-day Whist strategy contemplates frequent de- 
partures from the old practice of invariably continuing a 
trump attack opened by the partner. The lead will often be 
tentative from a split hand or a weak holding, in which 
case it is neither expected nor desired that the suit will 
be continued, unless the conditions are favorable. The 
first round may exhaust an adversary, when the advisa- 
bility of drawing- one for two must be considered, and if 
the only opponent having trumps would be the last player 
upon the continuation, it could seldom be right to subject 
the partner to the disadvantage of being overplayed by 
him. The same reasoning applies in case of the third hand 
taking the first round very cheaply. In such situations it 
would be better to reenter the trump leader with a plain 
suit and allow him to come through or not, as he may 
think fit. This consideration has not, however, the same 
weight as in plain suits on account of the more backward 
character of the lead in trumps, and if the leader appears to 
have a specific object for extraction it may be better to 
continue on the chance of finding him with ace, king, or 
king, queen. 



Trump Play. 

DEAL NO. 33. 



257 



Illustrating Change of Tactics, from Trump Extrac- 
tion to the Ruffing Game. 



NORTH. 



THe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 8, 7. 10, 5, 3, 2. A, K, Q, J, 9. 6, 4. 

fjr J,9,8,6,5,2. Q, 10,7,3. A. K, 4. 

4b a, 4. J, 7, 3, 2. 9, 6, 5. K, Q, 10, 8. 

^ K, 8, 6. 2. J, 10, 5, 3. A, Q, 9, 7, 4. 



TRUMP, DIAMOND 2. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



7* 



40l 2 



20 



3^ 



COMMENT. 



Trick 1. — South holds an established suit, four trumps and a 
reentry; nevertheless, he properly shows his suit before going to 
trumps. Had South held reentry in all the suits, or had the Spades 
numbered seven or more, or had he been in a position to take 
the second round of trumps, the original trump lead would have 
been advisable. 

West commences a signal. This is always of doubtful ex- 
pediency on an adversary's lead of a winning card, but particularly 
so with only two cards, so that the call cannot be masked. 

Trick 2. — North is disinclined to return the trump. He infers 
from South's opening that his hand is defective in some respects. 
North has not the average strength which his partner probably 
counted upon for support; furthermore. North suspects West of 
having begun a signal, for there are three cards lower than the 
six to be accounted for. North decides to return the Spade and 
allow South to continue the trumps if he thinks fit to do so. 
17 



258 



Trump Play. 





84 


4^ 


3 




J* 



3(Ji 



70 



80 



Q4 



54^ 



Trick 3. — West is obliged to complete the trump call which 
induces South to continue the suit with the purpose of forcing' 
him. North and South have now abandoned the aggressive game, 
which the latter initiated, for defensive tactics. 



4^ 



2¥ 



A^ 



3^ 



QO 



4<5> 



A* 



10 4^ 



Trick 6. — It is not generally right to blank an ace of an un- 
opened suit, but North displays sound judgment in doing so. He 
is reasonably sure that after two forces West will not be strong 
enough to draw the trumps. Clubs is the suit for which that 
player wished trumps led, and North expects, after stopping the 
first round, to ruff the second. 



K4^ 



A* 



5cSb 



2(5? 





5V 


K^ 


8 




50 



7^ 



Trick 8. — North and South have now a cross-rufif on, which 
enables them to make three of their four remaining trumps. 



60 



8* 



3<5) 



AO 



6¥ 



10 



10^ 



64^ 



10 



Trump Play. 
Q* 11 Vcfc 10* 



9c?D 



12 



JO 



259 



Jc& 



J^ 



90 



13 



Q^ 



North and South, nine. 
East and West, four. 



9* 



Note. — In the duplicate play South opened with trumps. 
North returned them, the trick falling to West, who opened the 
Clubs. Upon winning the third trick North led his last trump, 
enabling West to take South's Jack and to pick up his 5. East 
and West then made three tricks in Clubs. West led the Heart 
King, putting in South, who made two Spades. West ruffing the 
third and his partner taking the last trick with the Heart Queen. 
North and South, five; East and West, eight; a difference of four 
tricks. 

James Clay, in his delightful treatise on the game, re- 
marks that forward players "must always be ready to 
change their tactics at once if their attack fails, and must 
remember that it is useless to persist in playing a strong 
game with resources already weakened by failure. They 
will probably have lost something, but they will have taken 
a chance well worth the price they have paid for it." 

"Xo mistake is more common, or more fatal than that, 
having seen with good reason, at the outset of a hand, the 
promise of a great score, the player does not yield soon 
enough to indications that that promise was fallacious, but 
obstinately pursues his first idea." 

As "a very singular illustration of this danger," Clay 
then gives a general description of a deal which was, in 



26o 



Trump Play. 



fact, played by himself (North) and Dr. Jefifreason (South) 
against Air. Handley (East) and Lord Henry Bentinck 
(West). Mr. Handley, the last survivor of the party, told 
"Cavendish" how the cards were placed, to the best of his 
recollection. 



NORTH. 



THe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



^ 10, 4, 2. A, K, J, 9, 7, 5, 3. Q, 8. 6. 

V 10, 9,8,6. 2. Q, J. A, K, 7, 5,4,3. 

♦ J, 8, 6. 4. A,K,Q,10. 9, 7, 5, 3, 2. 

^ Q, 7, 5. K, J, 10, 9. A, 8, 6,4,3. 2. 



TRUMP, DIAMOND QUEEN. 



LEADER, EAST. 



East led King and Ace of Spades, West renouncing on 
the latter. East continued with Knave of Spades. Clay re- 
marks that "South should have submitted to being over- 
trumped [which, however, was in reality an imaginary evil], 
and, as it happened, he would have made a good score, but 
he was unable to dismiss the idea of a strong attack. He 
trumped the [third] trick with his ace, led a trump, and we 
made no other trick." 

After the hand was over. Clay said : "I never saw such 
a hand in my life ! Six by cards against ace, queen, eight 
trumps, and the whole of another suit !" 

A trump opening or signal made after a player has had 
a previous opportunity to lead or call, is not considered im- 
perative. It is an expression of opinion which should have 
great weight with the partner, but good reason will justify 
a declination to act upon it. 

A lead from more than average strength, and particu- 



Trump Play. 261 

larly an original lead of such a character, should almost 
invariably be promptly returned. 

Being in the lead after trumps have been extracted for 
the benefit of his partner's established suit, a player should 
play out the winning cards from his hand before putting his 
partner in. 

A not uncommon mistake is committed when a player 
who gets in on an opponent's lead of trumps continues with 
a short suit in the hope of making a losing trump by rufifing 
it. Hardly any worse play could be made. The chances 
are in favor of the right hand adversary taking the trick 
and perhaps killing partner's best card in the suit at the 
same time. The lead of the best suit in hand is the correct 
play under such circumstances, and generally the most 
effective from a defensive point of view. The suit may be- 
come established, or the lead of it may draw a valuable 
reentry from the strong adversary, in either case bringing 
about a development unfavorable to him. 

False Carding, which is generally to be avoided, may 
be practiced in the adversaries' lead of trumps from 
strength. If judiciously managed, it is calculated to cause 
them to misplace and miscount the cards. A player hold- 
ing 10, 7, 2 of trumps, second hand, may play the 7 to the 
first trick and the 10 to the second (when there is no chance 
of the last winning or being of service to strengthen part- 
ner), in the hope that the leader may mark the 2 with his 
partner, and refrain from another round in consequence ; 
or he may reverse the usual method of playing sequences 
with a view to impairing the opponent's calculations. It 
must be borne in mind when contemplating such strata- 
gems that partner may be misled to his injury as well as 



262 Trump Play. 

the adversaries, and that when he has trump strength with 
which to meet the attack^ it is of the greatest importance 
that he should be able to read the cards precisely. 

The Ruffing Game. 

When it is clear that the effort to bring in a long suit 
is impracticable, by reason of superior opposing trump 
strength, the ruffing game should be resorted to, and the 
trumps made separately as far as possible ; and so, when 
the opponents are leading from an evident preponderance 
of trumps. {Yide Critical Endings, 6 to 12.) Care must 
be exercised not to adopt forcing tactics prematurely. Too 
many players appear to consider the mere fact of a trump 
lead by an adversary sufficient justification for forcing 
partner, who might have been otherwise in a position to 
withstand the attack and turn it to his advantage. Rash 
trump leads are often made in the face of greater trump 
and plain suit strength, and when under such circumstances 
the other side commence to force each other indiscrimi- 
nately they are expediting the game of their antagonists. 
It is hardly necessary to state that a partner who is mark- 
edly weak may be forced under most circumstances with 
profit. 

A cross-ruft' may usually be entered upon with gain, 
but the composition of the hands engaged in it will some- 
times be such that the establishment tactics would have 
yielded better results. (A'ide Deal Xo. 3a. p. ^y.) A cross- 
ruff is apt to be deceptive in its operation, and often ap- 
pears to be winning to a greater extent than it actually is. 
When the suits which are reciprocally led in this process 
are both of more than average length, and one of the part- 



Trump Play. 263 

ners has as many as four trumps, the possibility of larger 
returns by playing for establishment must be seriously con- 
sidered before a cross-ruff is entered upon. When neither 
partner has more than three trumps it will almost always 
be well to institute a cross-ruff when possible. The prob- 
able life of the ruff on each side of the table must also be 
an important factor in the decision. 

Forcing Partner. — There are few situations in Whist 
which entail the gain or loss of a greater number of tricks 
than those involving the question of whether or not to 
force a partner. 

The general rule of the books is : "If long in trumps, 
force your partner; if short, refrain from doing so." The 
latter half of the injunction is modified by the following 
exceptions : ''Force your partner (i) if the adversaries 
have shown trump strength, (2) if he has exhibited a will- 
ingness to be forced, (3) if he has already been forced, (4) 
if after the development of his suit he has had the oppor- 
tunity to show trump strength and has not done so." 
These are the directions governing the point as laid down 
by Mr. Milton C. Work. 

Of course it is intended that, like almost all rules per- 
taining to the game, they shall be subject to circumstances 
and the good sense of the player. Unfortunately, in gen- 
eral practice, they are adhered to with such regularity that 
play in accordance with them has assumed a conventional 
character, which is endorsed by some writers of reputation. 
The principle underlying these rules is easily understood, 
but appropriate application in the many difficult and per- 
plexing situations which are constantly arising demands 
the exercise of the highest Whist qualities. 



264 Trump Play. 

It is obvious that a weak hand is hkely to work serious 
injury to the joint interests by forcing a strong partner, 
but whether in the absence of information he should refrain 
from doing so, merely because he is short in trumps, is 
questionable. 

The authors are of the opinion that a better formula 
for general application may be expressed as follows : 'Tn 
the absence of indicated trump strength with partner, give 
him an opportunity to ruf¥ whenever possible." 

Suppose the first trick, which shows that North can 
rufif the suit on its continuance, to fall to South ; the fact 
that the latter is weak in trumps does not appear to be suf- 
ficient in itself to deter him from forcing Xorth. If South 
returns the suit, his partner is not bound to trump it, and 
if South refrains from forcing, he proclaims his own weak- 
ness and directs the adversaries to the probably stronger 
hand which they might, in the absence pi such knowledge, 
have hesitated about forcing. The proposition, of course, 
involves a consideration of prevailing conditions, as does 
every play of dubious consequences. With weak, plain suit 
holding, and the prospect of a cross-ruff, the force would 
be administered without hesitation, but the presence of a 
great suit which could only be harvested in the event of the 
partner holding long trumps, would be a sufficient de- 
terrent. 

Such latitude of action in the matter of forcing would 
obviously rob the play of its conventional significance. It 
would not be possible to predicate weakness from a play- 
er's failure to force his partner. This inhibition is, how- 
ever, deemed an advantage rather than otherwise. A dec- 
laration of weakness, especially at an early stage of the 



Trump Play. 265 

deal, is calculated to act to the advantage of the adver- 
saries. 

It is true that the unrestricted use of the force would 
debar a player from inferring strength on the part of a 
forcing partner, but the situations are comparatively few 
in which that fact would produce a loss, and the benefit of 
concealment in the one case is of much more value than 
the ability to convey information in the other. Strength is 
capable of meeting an attack in the open or behind 
trenches, but the peril of weakness is enhanced by exposure 
to the enemy. 

Another argument which may be advanced for this 
view of the subject is the general principle of Whist strat- 
egy that a certain trick should only be relinquished for a 
probable gain. \\'hen nothing is known as to a partner's 
trump strength a possible gain may accrue from refraining 
to force him, but the probability is somewhat against his 
being strong. 

Example. — South leads from ace, king, 6, 2. His 
partner drops the jack. Some writers would recommend 
a change of suit unless .South was strong in trumps. The 
jack may, however, be the commencement of a call, or 
North may be glad of the opportunity to ruff. South 
should continue with the ace, and if North plays the queen, 
there is no sound alternative to the force. The suit is es- 
tablished with the adversaries, and to open a fresh one at 
random would be manifestly disadvantasfeous. If, on the 
other hand, North renounces to the ace, and the card 
thrown may be the beginning of a trump signal. South 
would do better to lead the suit other than that discarded. 

The question of forcing partner must l^e influenced by 



266 



Trump Play. 



the consideration that if one player holds three trumps it 
is 9 to 2 against his partner having- five; about 14 to 11 
against his having four, and that, if he has four only, it is 
9 to 5 that an adversary has at least as many. 

The foreg'oing odds assume that the trump is declared. 
If it be turned, and partner being the dealer, it is only 5 
to 2 against his having five; and 3 to 2 in favor of his 
having four. If, on the other hand, an opponent is dealer, 
it is 41 to 6 against partner's having five and 7 to 4 
against his having four. 

There should never be any hesitation about forcing, 
notwithstanding trump weakness, when it is manifest that 
the partner has not a strong game. 

Exa7nplc. — South holds ^ 8, 6, 4 ; ^ 10, 9 ; cj) K, 7, 
3 ; Q> S» 7, 6, 2, and leads. 



90 



2^ 



30 



3^ 



10 



7^ 



AV 



2^ 



9^ 



8(5. 



10 c?) 



K^ 



4V A* 



2c& J* 



6c§. 



10^ 



3c5d 



Keg) 



A cross-ruflf cannot be established, for West would 
almost certainly overtrump on the Hearts, but it would be 
folly on South's part to refrain from forcing with the Club, 
his weakness in trumps notwithstanding. 

Whilst it is generally advisable to force a partner in 
the face of an adverse attack, care must be used not to 



Trump Play. 267 

mistake a lead from a weak or average holding for an in- 
dication of preponderating strength in trumps. 

When partner has been forced to trump an adverse 
winning card the advisability of administering another 
force to him must depend upon the concurrent circum- 
stances and a consideration of wdiat is known or inferred 
about the combined hands. In the first place, if a player 
rufTs or discards early in the deal, it is probable that he 
has more than ordinary trump strength, since he was short 
in one suit. 

It may be advanced that if he wished to avoid another 
force he would have led trumps, but to do so might often 
be extremely bad play. 

Example. — West, second hand, holds C^ K, 10, 9, 7, 6; 
^ 8, 4; c?D A, J, 9, 8, 6; <> 4. South leads the <> K, 
followed by A, forcing West, and the fall gives no indication 
of the position of the unplayed cards. West has no desire 
to be forced again whilst there is a chance of making the 
Clubs, but a trump lead from his hand would be the height 
of folly. He must continue with a Club. If he leads the 
Ace his partner should infer, without doubt, that he wishes 
to avoid further inroads on his trump suit, but if he leads a 
low card. East may surmise that West is endeavoring to 
put him in for the purpose of affording another opportunity 
to force. 

When a player is short of an adversary's suit (which 
his partner has ruffed), but holds best, or second best 
guarded, in it, there can seldom be a gain by continuing it. 
On the other hand, when he holds considerable length, it 
may sometimes be established in his own hand by continu- 



2 68 Trump Play. 

ing it and allowing his partner to ruff the adverse high 
cards. 

A natural, but not a precise inference, may be drawn 
from the discard of partner. A low card would ordinarily 
imply a desire to ruff, and a high one the contrary, but the 
drop must not be rigidly interpreted unless a conventional 
meaning is attached to it. 

Refusal to trump a trick which must evidently go to 
the opponents otherwise, is equivalent to a call, and under 
such circumstances a player must suppose that his partner 
desires a trump led to him at the first opportunity. 

Forcing an Adversary. — The converse of the proposi- 
tion, as applied to the partner, must hold good with regard 
to an adversary. The strong opponent will be forced, when 
possible, and no opportunity will be unnecessarily given to 
the weak one to ruff". They should not be permitted to ex- 
ercise an option by having a suit led, to which neither can 
follow, for the weaker will surely trump whilst the other 
secures a beneficial discard. In the absence of indications 
to the contrary, the dealer's hand may be surmised to be 
stronger than the average by reason of the turned trump 
being added to the ordinary chances of his holding. 

AMien an adversary refuses a force it should be re- 
peated until he takes it, and continued, if possible, until 
his holding is rendered innocuous. 

Keen watchfulness should be maintained to detect in- 
dications of strength and weakness in the opposing hands, 
and prompt advantage must be taken of the information 
gained. The trump signal is of course an unequivocal dec- 
laration. Inferences of a more or less exact nature will 
arise from the forcing tactics, discards and general play. 



Trump Play. 269 

Unusual effort to secure the lead at second hand is indica- 
tive of a desire to lead trumps. Failure to lead them when 
able, although in possession of an estabhshed suit and 
reentry, denotes weakness and so on. 

Taking a Force. — The situations are few in which a 
player can be justified in failure to trump a certainly win- 
ning card, and they will occur mostly at the close of the 
deal. There is seldom anything to be gained by holding off 
such a card when it is likely to be followed by one or two 
more. 

Having an established suit, a player may be in doubt 
about taking a force, when to do so will lose to him the 
command of trumps. It will seldom happen early in the 
deal that his knowledge of the unplayed cards is sufBciently 
extensive to justify a refusal to trump a certainly winning 
card, and the better course will generally be to follow 
the very old maxim: "When in doubt, win the trick." 
Later in hand, however, the data at command will often 
clearly warrant abstention from the force. 

Example. — Five cards remain in each hand. South 
holds four established Spades out of six in play, and the best 
trump ((§) 6.) West has the losing twelfth trump and four 
Diamonds out of nine left. The other cards being three 
Hearts. 

West leads the best Diamond ; North and East follow 
suit. Should South trump or discard a winning Spade? 
If West's Diamonds are estabhshed^ so that he can con- 
tinue with winning cards, South's play can not affect the 
result. W^e will assume then, that North has the second 
best Diamond guarded. Now, if South can read North 



270 Trump Play. 

with the best Heart he should ruff West's Diamond. Three 
tricks will thus be assured, and should North hold another 
Heart, or both the losing Spades, four of the remaining 
five tricks will fall to North and South. 

Suppose the following distribution : North, ^8,7; 
^ O ; J> S. East, ^ 10, 9 ; <> 7. 6, 4. South, ^ J, 10, 
6, 4 ; c§D J. West, eg) 10 ; <> O, 10, 9, 5. 

In this position a trick is lost by declining the force. 
The same result follows if we keep unchanged the cards of 
South and West, but give North, ^ 8 ; ^ Q, 9 ; <> J> ^ ; 
or^Q, 9; 0J> 8.4. 

South should also trump if East has the best Heart 
and both the losing Spades. Nothing can be lost by so 
doing, and there is the possibility of gaining a trick. 

Distribute the cards as follows : North, ^ 10, 9 ; ^ J, 
8, 4. East, 4^ 8, 7 ; ^ Q ; 7. 6. South, ^^ J, 10, 6, 4 ; 
cg^J. West, c& 10; Q, 10, 9, 5. 

In this position if South trumps, he makes three tricks ; 
two only if he passes. On the other hand, if North, al- 
though not holding the best Heart, has at least one Spade, 
South should discard upon West's Diamond. He will be 
sure of three tricks by so doing ; whereas, if he trumps, 
he may get no more than two, as in the following distri- 
bution : North, 4^ 8 ; ^ 10, 9 ; <> J, 8. East, 4^ 7 i V Q ; 
7, 6, 4. South, ^ J, 10, 6, 4; cfc J. West, cfc 10; 
<> Q> 10, 9, 5. 

The following example, in which four trumps are in- 
volved, ihustrates a gain of a trick by passing a winning 
card. 

Bxamp/f.— 'North, ^ 10, 9 ; eg? 7 ; J. 8. East, 



Trump Play. 271 

4^ 8 ; ^ Q ; cfe 6 ; 7,6. South, ^ J, 10, 6, 4 ; c& J. 
West, eg) 10; Q, 10, 9, 5. 

Interchange Clul) 7 and 6 and South gains two tricks 
by passing. 

The foregoing analysis of a comparatively simple case, 
shows that the question is not an easy one to decide. The 
judgment of the keenest players is often severely taxed 
in such situations. The student will find a careful study of 
the preceding positions (with the help of the actual cards) 
effective in clarifying his ideas on this point. (For addi- 
tional examples of refusing to trump under different con- 
ditions, vide Critical Endings 13, 38, 39, 44 and 64.) 

Having taken a force with five or more trum])s it will 
generally be best to lead from them, if the combined hands 
contain anything worth playing for. If a plain suit is con- 
tinued it will be difficult to intimate one's wishes with re- 
gard to a repetition of the force and the matter must be left 
largely to the partner's discretion. When a card is led 
which he is not expected to cover, he will naturally sur- 
mise that another force is to be avoided, but if a small card 
is played in a suit of which he is marked with the best, and 
particularly if an adversary's suit is returned, he would 
be justified in the inference that an opportunity to rufif 
again would be acceptable. 

As a general rule, holding four or more trumps, a 
player should pass a doubtful trick ; otherwise he should 
trump. The principal exceptions are when a weak trump 
suit of high cards, such as two or three honors or two 
honors and a smaller card, is held. Such a holding may be 
of the greatest assistance to the partner in attempting ex- 
traction and ordinarily should be retained for that purpose. 



272 Trump Play. 

When four small trumps are held (that is, four lower than 
9), they are not likely to be of value for any purpose but 
ruffing. When partner has indicated strength, as by call- 
ing, or passing a doubtful trick, the ruff should be made 
from a strong or average holding. 

When taking a force with the intention of continuing 
with trumps, the echo should be made by putting in the 
lowest but one. (Vide Deal 31, Tr. 3, p. 249.) 

Overtrumping. — The principle governing ruffing ap- 
plies to overtrumping. A player who is weak will be glad 
of an opportunity to make a trick in this manner. He will 
also overtake his right hand adversary if he may do so and 
remain with sufficient strength to essay extraction, or if his 
partner is marked with a strong trump holding. In short, 
he will generally take the trick from the opponent when 
able to do so, but if his trump suit is such as to be able to 
holds its own if kept intact but not if impaired, he had bet- 
ter keep ofif. With four trumps of more than average high 
card strength it will be well to consider seriously before 
overtrumping, and so with five, the left hand adversary 
having revealed strength. Several considerations will in- 
fluence the decision, such as the probable continuation if 
the trick is left with the adversary and the advantage or 
otherwise of having to lead if the trick be taken. Generally 
the position of last player will be desirable to the partner, 
but when it is likely that the lead if made by the opponent 
will be through the strong suit of the player declining to 
overtrump, or up to weakness with his partner, he will do 
well to avert the probability. (Vide Critical Endings 14, 
35, 48, 49.) 

The succeeding deal affords a good illustration of a 
judicious refusal to overtrump. 



Trump Play. 



273 



DEJAL, NO. 34. 

Refusing to Overtrump. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



Q, J, 10, 8, 7. K, 4, 3. 6, 5. 

10, 3. A, Q, 9, 8, 6,2. J, 7, 5, 4. 



4 A, 9, 2. 

4k K, J, 2. A, Q, 10, 6. 7, 3 

4 A, Q, J, 9,6,5. K, 10. 7, 4 



9, 8, 5, 4. 
8, 3, 2. 



HEARTS DECLARED TRUMPS. 



LEADER, EAST. 



TKe Play. 



A4i 



A4 



5* 



Q4 



2^ 



2 100 



4* 



70 



COMMENT. 



TricTc 1. — South, with his great strength in trumps, signals, in 
spite of his deficiency in Clubs and Diamonds. 



94 



24^ 



30 



KO 



Q^ 



104 



40 



Trick 3. — After the 10 of Diamonds has fallen, North's holding 
becomes the equivalent of ace, queen, jack, 10 held originally. He 
therefore continues with the 9. 

Trick 4. — If the object of leading 10 after queen, from five or 
more in suit, were merely to declare number. East would be un- 
wise to allow the calling adversary to count his hand. But West 
may hold the King of Spades once guarded; and, if so. East wants 
the King to be played on the second round. 
18 



274 



4^ 



Trump Play. 



10^ 



2¥ 



3^ 



Trick 6. — As North does not return the trump he may be 
inferred to hold no more. South has an advantageous discard, and 
refrains from weakening his holding by overtrumping the lo. 



9* 



2c2> 



J^ 



J* 



44^ 



Q* 



8^ 



3cfc 



Tricks 9 to 13.— East will make the Ace of Clubs, and South his 
four trumps. 

North and South, eight ; East and West, five. 

If South overtrumps at Trick 6 the play will run as 
follows : 



Q^ 



80 



4c§= 



6 


10 (^ 


Q^ 


Keg) 


8 


A,5> 



7* 



9* 



5^ 



5* 



7 


7* 


AV 


2c& 


9 


Q* 



3c& 



Trick 8. — South can gain nothing by continuing the trump 
instead of opening the Clubs. West will still make the " of trumps. 



Trump Pla}^ 



275 



50 



60 



8cSd 



10 



Q4 



9c2) 



11 



J* 



34i 



sc:? 



Tr/cA- 11. — Here West declines to overtrump, thereby gaining 
a trick. 

Trichs 12 and 13 fall to West. 



North and South, seven ; East and West, six. 



American I^eads. 



THE SYSTEM OF AMERICAN LEADS. 



The American Leads are a development of the older 
leads, designed to enable a player to indicate with compara- 
tive precision the number of cards held in the suit led. 
The information thus secured by the partner facilitates his 
count of the cards and enables him to unblock systematic- 
ally. Notwithstanding these considerable advantages, the 
adherents of the older leads maintain that in actual prac- 
tice the latter system, which conveys more extensive in- 
formation of the position of the high cards, and will gen- 
erally show number by the time that knowledge can be 
turned to account, is equally as effective. They contend, 
with undoubted truth, that in many instances the revela- 
tions made by the player of the American Leads are of 
greater assistance to the adversaries than to the partner, 
and that the use of the latter system induces undue atten- 
tion to detail which contracts the perspective and tends to 
a mechanical order of play. 

If it were feasible to employ these ultra-informative 
leads only in hands of exceptional strength the chief ob- 
jection to them would be obviated. An appreciation of this 
fact has led to the adoption by some players of a compound 
system in which number is proclaimed in trumps and the 
older leads made in the plain suits. 

It is unquestionable that beginners, or moderate play- 

(279) 



2So The S3^stem of American Leads. 

ers, who have not the abihty to turn to the best account 
the data (.lorivctl from American Leads, phice themselves 
at a chsachantage by giving- extensive information to ad- 
versaries who are capable of taking full advantage of it. 

It may be added that the American Leads are far 
from being in a condition of final acceptance even by play- 
ers who approve and practice them. The Hamilton modi- 
fications, Mitchell-Tormey variations, and other divergen- 
cies have a very large following and further changes are 
suggested from time to time. 

It has been stated that the system of American Leads 
is designed chiefiy to show the number of cards held in the 
suit opened. In most instances the lead also announces the 
presence of certain other cards in the hand. This informa- 
tion may be derived from both high and low card leads, and 
is of two descriptions — pronounced and inferred. The 
first can be illustrated by the jack lead, which, in addition 
to indicating five or more in suit, absolutely declares the 
presence of king and queen. 

As an example of cards placed by inference, take the 
following: South leads 8; West plays lo; North holding 
king and queen can place the ace. jack and 9 in the hand 
of his partner, who nuist have three cards better than the 
low card led. 

Beginners are very apt to fail to avail themselves of 
the full benefits offered by the American Leads. It is clear 
that unless the information as to length of suit, derived 
from the opening lead, is carried in the mind throughout 
the deal, or at least as long as it can be of any avail, it had 
better not have been given. For instance : Ace, followed 
by jack, signifies five or more in suit. Supposing two 



The System of American Leads. 281 

rounds only to have been played when the tenth trick is 
turned, then, barring discards, which should, of course, be 
carefully noted, the original leader is marked with three of 
the suit left in his hand. 

Such inferences and deductions are the essential basis 
of correct end play, which is a sine qua non to good Whist. 

There are three broad principles governing the system 
of American Leads. First : It is recjuired that the leader 
of a low card shall hold exactly three higher ones ; sec- 
ond, that having led a high card, followed by a low one, he 
shall have exactly two intervening cards ; third, that hav- 
ing followed a high card by another, the second shall 
indicate number in suit. In practice the first principle re- 
quires that a low card led shall be the fourth best of the 
suit ; the second directs that having led a high card, and 
following it with a low one, the latter shall be the fourth 
best of the holding, counting from and including the 
card first led ;* the third provides for the play of in- 
different high cards. For instance, we will suppose a 
suit consisting of ace, king, queen, jack, 7 to be opened with 
the jack. Now, as far as trick-taking is concerned, it mat- 
ters not at all which of the higher cards is continued with, 
and information of the high card holding is complete, so it 
would appear to be a matter of indiiiference. The second 
lead, however, will be influenced by the number in suit. 
With five exactlv, as in the combination under considera- 



*Thi.s is in accord with the design of the framers of the sys- 
tem, but the majority of players follow with the orif/inal fourth 
best. The League System of I'lay contemplates the latter method, 
and Mr. Milton C. Work, whilst inclined to favor it, seems to 
consider the matter of no great importance. 



282 The S3'stem of American Leads. 

tion. the conliiuiation wouUl bo with ace; with six, the king 
would bo tho follow, aiul with sovon tho (iiiooii. The longer 
tho suit tho lowor tho card of tho hoad soc|uouoo continued 
with. 

In conuoction with tho first principle of tho American 
Leads, that of tho loatl of fourth-bost, a valuable aid to 
counting thq cards was discovorod by Mr. E. V. l^onocke 
and Mr. R. V. Vostcv independently. This, which is gen- 
erally known as the "Eleven Rule," consists in sub- 
tracting tho nund)or of a low card, led originally, from 
eleven ; tho difference will represent the number of cards 
held by other pkiNors than tho loader, which are higher 
than that led. To exemplify: South loads 9. Nine from 
eleven are two, tho number of better cards than the 9, 
which South does not hold. North, with king, jack, has 
those two cards, and realizes at once that tho suit is estab- 
lished. Again: South leads 7; West ])la>s cpieen : North 
king and East 8. Throe of the four higher cards are ac- 
counted for and North knows that only one adverse card 
can obstruct tho establishment of his partner's suit.* The 
Eleven Rule is often useful to second hand as a guide to 
covering, as in this case: South leads 8; West holding- king, 
(lueon, 9 has tho throe high cards lacking in South 's hand, 
and knows that by covering with the 9 he will hold the 
trick. 



*Au elucidation of tho "Elovon Kulo" may bo pi-olitablo. If tlio 
nuinorioal douomiuatiou of tho cards of a suit bo t>xton(U>d to tho honors, 
it will rau.uo from '2 to n. tlu> lattor numbor rt'prt>sont inir tho aoo. Tho 
uun\bor of pips on any oard subtraotinl from 14 will indioato tho nnmboi- 
of hisi-hor i-aids in tho suit, and if tho oard in (luostion is tho fonrth-bi'st 
of tho loador's holdiuir, lio must havo throo of tho hifjlior caixis and tho 
balanoo aro nooossarily ontistaudini;. 



The System of American Leads. 283 



•■^ 



S-trtJ- 



f a'-r 



O 



o 

B 

E 



q-!2 

Stmts' 

TJ - O 
CO C J^ 

trtr 

^ si D" 

l-t t-'-Vl 

p-ls 



O P 



05! 



2. 



CD 

-0. 



P PD 



c« 



(D 



C+O 

o 

p !-*> 
O tn 

O o 



i-t- o 



tl- 






?OrQ 



o 

n 

o 

p 









o 

p. 



o w 



10 



^, > > > > > > 
10 ^ 10 10 p^. r\ ^ 



o - 
•1 



op 







'-h >-h >-+) i-n 



MM HH br* 
O O rN r^ 



JO 



o 

d 



^K^trOt3**>0J0>O<-H 



o 3 



o o 

CO fi' 



O "r* > > > >C'-^ 



"1 >-r> 

o ^ 

OJ w 



O 



^ 



^ 



o 

d 



B* W p* W B*<^ 



W > > 



OS 0^t>>>K>>>0'-^ 






o o 

o ^ 
o) d 

O 

O- 



^ 



o ;2. 



^ 



o 

d 



? f^ 5* O ? 



P- 



o 

O M 

M •-' 



<1 
w 

n 

o 

O * 

o 



w 

;► c/3 

M •-< 

o 

> 

O 

o 



H 

p 

t— I 
a> 

o 

t— ' 



> 

a> 

o 
p 

|H 

a> 
P 

CO 



284 The System of Americau Leads. 

It has been stated that several modifications of the 
American Leads have been suggested. Two of these — 
known as the Hamilton Leads — have met with wide ac- 
ceptance in America, and are assumed to have been 
adopted in the exercises on inferences. Thev are designed 
to dispense with one of the queen openings (which have 
the objection of ambiguity) by leading the 10 from queen, 
jack, 10, etc., and the fourth best from king, jack, 10. 

Trump Leads. 

When the suit contains three or more honors, the lead 
is the same as in plain suits. 

^^'hen the suit contains two honors and the 10, the 
lead is the same as in plain suits. "^ 

\Mien the suit consists of any seven or more cards, it 
is led from as in plain suits. 

Otherwise the fourth best is regularly led, but in the 
trump suit, deviations from rule, owing to the situation, 
and the composition of the hand, are more frequent than 
in plain suits : and so the drop to the first trick will more 
often influence a divergence from the conventional follow, 
which is generally uniform with that in the lay suits. 

Unblocking^. 

In connection with the American Leads a systematic 
method of unblocking is practiced. Althougli avoidance of 
obstructing partner's suit is the avowed chief object of the 
plav. its greatest utility lies in declaring number. It is con- 
scquentlv necessary to follow the system uniformly, even 

*In Kuiil.iml n low card i;^ UhI from A.. K., 10. fowor than soven in 
suit, unless tho oonibinntiou inehulos tho when that card is opened 
■with. The .Tack is UmI from ,T.. 10. ;>, four or more. The latter is a very 
useful lead and h<is cou;5uderable vogue amongst American players. 



The System of American Leads. 285 

when it is impossible to achieve the first purpose, the cards 
being too high to permit of unblocking or too low for inter- 
ference. 

The play will be made upon the lead of any honor.* 

The rule for the play is as follows : Upon the lead of 
any face card, third hand holding exactly four of the suit, 
and making no attempt to take the trick, will play his third 
best. To the second round he will play his second best 
unless attempting to win. Now he is in a position to dis- 
pose of the card which would obstruct his partner's suit 
and retain his original lowest. 

Having played third best to the first trick, and after- 
wards returning the suit, the unblocking hand should lead 
the highest of three. Having played third best and next 
discarding from the suit, the second best should be dis- 
carded. 

If it is desired to unblock, and at the same time call, 
the second best should be played before the third best, 
whether following suit or discarding. 

It will be noted that the effectiveness of the play 
depends upon the retention of the lowest card. 



*Tlio oriffiual scIumiu* of unblockins to Ainoi-ican L(>a(ls was devised 
Bolely witli a view to that purpose, and provided for the play only in 
cases of leadsi proelainiins five cards. It is now, however, almost uni- 
versally extended to the King Lead. 



286 



llie System of Americau Leads. 



DEAi. NO. 35. 



American Leads; Second-hand Defensive Play; Un- 



blocking. 



TKe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 7, 6, 5. 4, 3. Q, J, 9, 8, 2. A, K, 10. 

fy K, 6. A, 9, 7, 4. 3, 2. Q, J, 10, 8, 5. 

4k A, 6, 5, 2. K, J, 9, 8, 4. 10, 7. Q, 3. 

4 Q, 10, 7, 4. A, 9. J, 6, 5, 2. K, 8, 3. 



TRUMP, CLUB 4. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



10^ 



54^ 



8* 



44^ 



6^ 



QV 



2^ 



9^ 



COMMENT. 



Tricl' 1. — South leads the fourth best of his strong suit. By 
applying the "eleven rule'" to that card. West ascertains that he 
holds all the high cards of the suit which are not in the leader's 
hand; consequently, he plays his lowest and retains the command- 
ing cards. 

The fact of the 10 holding the trick indicates that West must 
have two of the honors, which in connection with his trump 
strength and protection in Hearts and Diamonds decides East to 
commence a call. 

Tricl- 2. — The presence of the King in his own hand informs 
North that the lead is from the Queen-io combination and that 
the Ace is to his left, so he refrains from covering. East com- 
mences another signal in connection with the unblocking play 
by putting in the second best before the third best. 



10 V 



The System of American Leads. 287 



QcS^ 



8* 



3^ 



7* 



Trick 3. — West continues with the lo to show five or more 
in suit. 

Trick 4. — East leads his fourth best trump.* 



4^ 



2<5> 



K 



90 



3* 



J* 



JO 

5c5b 



10c?> 
6c5) 



30 



K4t 



80 



94^ 



50 



60 



Trick 7. — West has both 6 and 5 of trumps or no more. East 
can afiford to take another round even at the risk of drawing one 
unnecessarily from his partner, for after the extraction they must 
make all the remaining tricks, even though West takes none in 
Spades. 



70 



6^ 



A^ 



A^ 



8^ 



10 



7V 



20 
7* 



2<^ 

10 



J¥ 



11 



4^ 



5V 



12 



34^ 



9* 



J* 



♦South would have dono better to rover the 8 UmI. If North has both 
the outstandiiif? higher cards the phiy saves a trick. 



288 



K* 



The System of Amei-icau Leads. 

QO 

'4* 



East and West, twelve. 
North and South, one. 



Q^ 



DEAL NO. 36. 



American Leads and the Unblocking Game, or Plain 
Suit Echo. A disastrous Finesse. 



THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 Q, 10,6,3. 6,4. 

V 7, 5. J, 10, <S, 3. 

4k 6, 3. 10, 9, 8, 7. 

^8,7,6,5,4. A, 9, 3. 



A, K, 9, 8, 2. J, 7. 

K, 9. A, Q, 6, 4, 2. 

A, J, 5, 4. K, Q, 2. 

K, Q. J, 10, 2. 



CLUBS DECLARED TRUMPS. 



LEADER, WEST. 



5^ 



AV 



8^:? 



Qc:? 



East retains his lowest Heart on partner's original lead of 



Ace. 



7^ 



4V 



10^ 



K^:? 



West follows with the original fourth best. East and West 
can now place all the rest of the suit. North and South, however, 
are uncertain whether West led from five or six. as he may hold 
both the 3 and 2. 



7* 



The System of American Leads. 2S9 
6 4i 10 4i 

4* 



J* 



5^ 



^ 



K* 



North plays in Spades on the same principle. South, missing 
the 3. knows that North has the Queen also, and that both oppo- 
nents are void. 



Sc?. 



40 



Q* 



7(Sb 



J* 



30 



44^ 



KO 



West cannot continue the Hearts, allowing the weak hand 
to trump and the strong to discard. East knows that the Diamond 
Jack must be a supporting card; and as both King and Queen 
must be adverse, it is useless for him to abandon the command 
on the first round. South's false card is his best chance for a high 
score. Reading East with Diamond Ace, he hopes that he may- 
induce him to finesse if the lead comes again from West, who has 
probably the King of trumps guarded. 



2C?D 



6c?D 



A4k 



8cfc 



Kc& 



50 



54^ 



9c2d 



West knows that East must hold the Jack or lo of trumps, 
since South, holding both, would have led one at Trick 8. 



10 ♦ 



19 



60 



QO 



90 



290 The System of American Leads. 

East's play here is very bad. He supposes that North holds 
Diamond Queen, and that by passing the 10 he will win every 
other trick except the one which South must take with the Jack 
of trumps. But he should have considered the risk he runs of 
finding South's Diamond King to be a false card, a play that, 
under the circumstances, would be quite justifiable. It must be 
evident to East from South's lead of trumps, in face of the estab- 
lished Hearts, that the Spades are established also. South's lead 
of Spade Ace denies the Queen; therefore North must hold it, 
and the 3 also. (As well as from South's play, it is further obvious 
that North cannot have Spade Queen single and South the 3, 
for in such a case, North would have discarded the Queen at Trick 
8.) East can thus count in South's. hand a single Diamond. Sup- 
posing this to be the Queen, East's finesse will lose four tricks. 
Supposing North to have the Queen, the finesse can gain one trick 
at most; for then, if East plays Diamond Ace on the 10. and 
leads Heart Jack. East and West win three of the last five tricks 
in any case, and will win four if South trumps the Jack, 





70 


20 


10 


J* 


3* 


6^^ 


12 




8^ 



10cg> 



J^ 



2^ 



QV 



Q* 



11 



2* 
8<> 



13 



9» 

North and South, ten ; East and West, three. 



3^ 



AO 



Play the hand again from Trick 9, and observe the 
difference, if East does not make his foolish finesse. 



60 



70 



10 ♦ 



AO 



2^ 



10 



JV 



QO 



2^ 



The System of American Leads. 291 



South does not trump Heart Jack, but waits till East will not 
have another Heart to lead, in the hope that North may hold Dia- 
mond 9. As the cards lie, however, South's play makes no dif- 
ference. 



34^ 



6^ 



11 



3¥ 



J* 



Q* 



20 



12 



10 eg) 



8* 



SO 



Q^ 



13 



9^ 



9^ 



East and West, seven. 
North and South, six. 



DEAL NO. 37. 



Not drawing the Losing Trnmp — Refusing to Win a 
Trick. 

TKe Hands. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SODTH. 



WEST. 



^ Q, 8. 9, 6, 8. A, 10, 7, 2. K, J, 5, 4. 

y Q, 9, 2. A, J, 8, 5, 4. K, 7, 6, 3. 10. 

*A,Q,10,7,4,3. 6, 5. K, 8, 2. J, 9. 

♦ 9,7. K, 8, 5. A, 6. Q, J, 10,4,3,2. 



SPADE JACK TURNED. 



LEADER, NORTH. 



A4k 



9c§D 



5 eft 



2& 



7* 



Jcfc 



6cfc 



Kc5) 



The 4 and 3 not having fallen. South sees that North holds the 
four remaining Clubs. 



292 The System of American Leads. 



Q^ 



8* 



4* 



34^ 



54^ 



G^ 



2* 



A<^ 



South can gain nothing by passing the second round of trumps. 
The return of Spade 8 by North and the fall of the small cards 
show South that North holds either both King and 9, or no more. 
If the latter be the case, a third round will most likely draw two 
for one; further, South knows neither Hearts nor Diamonds to be 
established, and has therefore no fear that his 10 of trumps will be 
drawn, even if an opponent remains with the best. (Compare 
Critical Ending 5, where South cannot draw the losing trump.) 
The balance of advantage, therefore, is in South's proceeding to 
a third round. 



70 



^^ 



94^ 



7* 

West retains the turn-up card. 

9 



50 



AO 



If West draws the losing trump, and then leads a Diamond 
(North discarding Heart 2), North and South will win ten tricks. 



36h 



4^ 



84k 



South, having lost his Diamond Ace, now forces the best 
trump, although by so doing he parts with his only Club. He sees 



THe System of American Leads. 293 

that it is very improbable, from North's play, that the latter holds 
Diamond King; and if he has it not, the Diamonds are certainly 
established adversely. 



4c§5 



J^ 



^0 



60 



West has declared five Diamonds at least. East's play of the 
King on his partner's Jack implied one more Diamond at most. 
Therefore West can be read with three Diamonds and one Heart; 
East with four Hearts. 



10 <s, 



20 



8^ 



10^ 



104^ 



2^ 



10 



KV 



5^ 



South tries to save his partner's inferred Heart Queen by 
leading his highest of the suit (The Desclmpelles Coup). North 
cannot hold Heart Ace, or he would not have thrown away the 
long Clubs. East sees that if he wins the King, and if North holds 
the Queen or the 9, North and South will win all the rest. By 
declining to win. East must make two Hearts in any case, and may 
make three. If both the Queen and 9 should be in South's hand, 
it makes no difference whether East wins or passes. 



30 



Q^ 



11 



3¥ 



A^ 



40 



9^ 



12 



6^ 



JV 



QO 



QtSb 



13 



8¥ 



7^ 



North and South, seyen. 
East and West, six. 



294 The System of Americaa Leads. 

DEAL NO. 38. 

Counting the Hands. Holding up the Best Trump. 
THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 



4 J,10,6,4,3. 8, 7,5. 

y 6, 5, 2. A, 9. 

4k 7, 6, 4, 2. Q, 10, 9, 8. 

^ Q. K, J, 10, 6. 



K, Q. 

J, 10, 8, 7, 4. 
A, K. 

A, 8, 7, 2. 



A, 9, 2. 
K, Q, 3. 
J, 5, 3. 
9, 5, 4, 3. 



DIAMONDS DECLARED TRUMP. 



LEADER, NORTH. 



4* 



A4i 1 54i 



Q^ 



10 4i 



©♦ 



7* 



K^ 



West has nothing better to do than to return the Spade 
through strength. From his return of the 9, and from North's 
lead of the 4, South can see that North holds Spade 2 or 3, or 
both, and has led from five at least. 



2^ 



QV 



9^ 



7V 



West can account for three Hearts higher than the 7 led by- 
South (7 and 3=10), and knows that there is one more card 
against him. 



2d& 



J* 



8* 



Kc£> 



The System of American Leads. 295 

North having declared strength in Spades, and South in 
Hearts, West leads the best of his three Clubs. South, knowing 
that at most he holds two more (smaller) of the suit, infers that, 
if East has not commenced a signal, North holds three Clubs at 
least out of the 7, 6, 5, 4 and 3. 



5(^ 



3^ 



A(5' 



8V 



The Jack, 10, 8 of Hearts being in sequence. South leads the 
8 as a card of protection, to make sure of forcing the King or 
Ace. West now knows that the remaining card against the leader 
is the Ace in East's hand, which must be single, since he played 
the 9 under the Queen. 



3c§> 



4c?> 6^ 



AcS, 



JV 



S^ 3^ 



QO 



20 



KO 



West can count his partner with at least four trumps, and 
therefore leads them. South knows Diamond Queen to be North's 
only trump, since his other cards can be counted as three Spades 
and two Clubs. (See comments on Tricks 2 and 4.) Also that 
West has one small Spade (the 2 or 3), one small Club, and three 
more trumps; East, two established Clubs and three trumps. If 
South wins the first or the second round of trumps, that trick will 
be his last. By waiting until the third round, he can force one 
adverse trump with a Heart, and secure another trick with a 
losing trump which w^ould otherwise be drawn. Or, if East and 
West so play that South's losing trump is overtrumped by West, 
the latter must next lead his losing Spade, and give the last trick 
to North. 



296 The System of American Leads. 



3Q> 



4<> 



J^ 



90 



70 


6<5> 


11 


10 ¥ 


7* 



9* 



5c8) 



13 



104, 



80 



6^ 



50 



2* 



10 


©♦ 


AO 




12 


100 



4^ 



East and West, eight, 
North and South, five. 



DEAL NO. 39. 

Leading an Adversely Established Suit. When not to 
Finesse Third Hand, with Ace and Queen only. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 



4 Q, 5, 4. 10, 6. 

|rK,10,9,6,3. J, 8, 7, 2. 

4, 8, 7. K, Q, J, 10. 

^ A, 9, 5. K, 3, 2. 



8, 7, 3, 2. A, K, J, 9. 
A, Q. 5, 4. 

9, 5, 2. A, 6, 4, 3. 
J, 10, 8, 6. Q, 7, 4. 



SPADES DECLARED TRUMP. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



AO 



94 



40 



20 



7 



KO 



©♦ 



80 



The System of American Leads. 297 



North's hand is not strong enough to justify him in opening 
the Hearts instead of returning his partner's suit. Barring false 
cards, South can read West with Diamond Queen single, and 
North with one more Diamond at most (the 5 or 3). 



7* 



8<Q, 



3cS> 



K^k 



A* 



104k 



2c& 



5cg> 



East's lead of Club King followed by the 10, declares the 
Queen and Jack only remaining in hand. South can therefore 
place the 6 and 4 with West, who wins the 10 in order to lead 
trumps. 



4^ 



K* 



64^ A4 






30 



24^ 3^ 7^ 

South knows that West has the winning twelfth trump (the 9). 

6V 3 ^ 

5^ 



4<^ 



2^ 



7<^ 



A^ 



QV 



Having no probable trick in the other plain suits, South's best 
chance is to play Ace and return Queen, so as not to block the 
suit if his partner hold both King and Jack, and so is strong 
enough to take the Queen. The fall now marks North with the 
King and two more Hearts exactly, not including the Jack. South 
can now count all the hands. West has Diamond Queen, Club 6 
and 4, and the 9 of trumps. East has the Jack and another Heart, 
Club Queen and Jack. North three Hearts and Diamond 5. 

South's play, then, is obviously to place the lead in East's hand 
with the losing Club. He thus makes certain of winning a trick 
with his Spade 8, which cannot then be drawn. 



298 The System of American Leads. 

4c?D 



10 



Jc& 



9* 

10^ 



QO 



12 



8^ 



6cg) 


11 




84^ 


K<:C> 


9* 


13 



Q4k 



J(^ 



J4 



10 <^ 



East and West, eight; North and South, five. 

Note. — When an adversely established suit cannot be 
prevented from making, there are other positions in which 
it may be advantageous to lead it at the right moment; 
but not in all cases can the advantage be so clearly seen. 

DEAL NO. 40. 

Refusing to Trump a Winning Card, when holding 
Command of Trumps and an Established Suit. 

THe Hands. 

NOKTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 



4 6, 3. 8, 4, 2. 

y Q, 9, 5, 2. A, 10, 7, 3. 

4^ 9, 6. 8, 5, 3, 2. 

♦ J, 7, 5, 3, 2. 9,4. 



K,Q,J,10,7,5. A, 9. 

J, 4. K, 8, 6. 

A, Q, J, 10. K, 7, 4. 

A. K, Q, 10, 8, 6. 



CLUBS DECLARED TRUMP. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



34^ 



20 



A* 



J* 



24^ Q4 2 40 46i> 

I I 

AO 



6cfc 


3 


A* 



2cft 



The System of American Leads. 299 



South has no reentry; but it is probable that North has still 
a Spade to lead, and there may be a reentry in his hand. West's 
lead of Diamond Queen at Trick 2 denies the Jack. 



9c§) 



30 



KcS. 



3(Sb 



K^ 



90 



104k 



4(^ 



South knows North to have no more trumps, since he dropped 
the 9 under the King; but hopes to find him with the Diamond 
Jack and a small Spade. Also, South has an advantageous discard 
in the losing Heart. If East has no more Diamonds, he may hold 
two of the three remaining trumps, in which case he will be over- 
trumped, and the other trumps can be drawn. 



JO 



30 



64 



5<5) 



7cSb 



8<S> 



J* 



Q* 



Tricks 8 to 13. — South makes five tricks in Diamonds, and East 
makes Heart Ace. 

North and South, nine ; East and West, four. 

Play the hand again, making South trump the Dia- 
mond King, and it will be found that East and West will 
win two tricks in Hearts, a trump, and second Diamond : 
seven tricks in all. Xorth and South thus lose three tricks. 

In the original play, West's continuation of the Dia- 
mond at Trick 6 turns out unfortunately ; if he leads Heart 
6, and East returns that suit, South again declines to trump 
(knowing North to hold either Heart King or Heart 
Queen), and North and South win eight tricks only. But 
West, who is not playing Double Dummy, cannot tell 
whether North or East holds Diamond Jack, and has no 
reason for changing the suit. 



300 The System of American Leads. 

DEAL xo. 41. 
Refusing to Trump a Winning Card. 
THe Hands. 

yORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

47,5,2. A, J, 10, 9, 6,3. Q, 4. K, 8. 

V 5, 4. 7, 6. K, J, 9, 8, 2. A, Q, 10, 3. 

4, A, 5, 3, 2. K, 6, 4. Q, J, 9, 8. 10, 7. 

4 8, 7, 5, 2. 6, 3. 10, 9. A, K, Q, J, 4. 



HEARTS DECLARED TRUMP. 



LEADER. SOUTH. 



4(51 



10 ^ 



6^ 



8¥ 



West can count three trumps higher than the 8 (8+3=:ii), and 
knows that his 10 will hold the trick. If North has not com- 
menced an echo, South can place Heart 3 with West. So far as 
South knows,. West ma}'- have played in the 10 from Queen, 10. 3; 

or he may hold the Ace in addition. North, if echoing, may hold 
the 7, 5, and 3. 



20 



J4 



30 



QO 



South now sees that North is not echoing, and therefore has 
not Heart 3. 

&0 



A^ 



60 



10 



West's lead declares the King. Queen, and one other exactly. 



The System of American Leads. 



301 



3<^ 



2^ 



East's discard of Spade seems better than to throw away one 
of his guards to the Club King. He cannot read West with ulti- 
mate command in trumps, although he can place two honors in 
his hand. 



Acg) 



7* 



4<S, 



8* 



Both Ace and Queen of trumps being adverse, South, whose 
hand has been weakened by the force, proceeds to open his long 
plain suit; he infers from the fall that North holds Club 3 and 2. 



2* 



lOcSb 



K<5, 



9cSb 



North, holding Club 3 and returning the 2, has the 5 or 6, or 
both. West has no more. 



84^ 



24^ 



4* 



A* 



^^ 



54i 



Q^ 



9* 



East is marked with Spade Jack and 10. Having held five 
origin^ny (see his discard to Trick 4), he would lead the Ace even 
though holding four only at the time of leading. West has no 
more. 



302 The System of American Leads. 

80 



Q^ 



6(S> 



Jcg> 



By refusing to trump the Diamond Queen, South makes cer- 
tain of winning two more tricks. At the time when he has to play, 
he knows West to hold the Ace, Queen, 3 of trumps, in addition to 
his small Diamond (see comment on Trick 3), since he is void 
both of Clubs and Spades. North, in addition to Club 5 and 3, (see 
comment on Trick 6), must therefore hold Heart 5, since East 
played the 6 to Trick i. If North's other card be a second trump 
(the 7), South's play makes no difference. But if it be the small 
Spade, and South trumps, and the opponents play well, they win 
all the rest, as will be shown in a variation. 



59? 



3c5) 



4^ 


10 




9^ 
5c§> 


AV 


12 



7^ 



3^ 



11 



6 4i 



Q* 



10 4i 



J'^ 





7* 


QV 


13 




K^ 



J* 



East and West, nine ; North and South, four. 
Now let South trump at Trick 9: 





80 


Qf 


9 




9^ 



3* 



66h 



3^ 



10 



7^ 



Q« 



West trumps in order that East may overtrump (The Grand 
Coup. See Critical Endings 57, 58, 59 and 60), and lead a winning 
Spade. 



40 



The System of American Leads. 303 
74^ ■ 5cSb 



11 



12 



10* 



J* 



J^ 



5^3? 



AV 



^6^ 



East and West, ten. 
North and South, three. 



K(J? 



Inferences from Ameri- 



(Incltiding tHe Hamilton Modifications.) 



20 



INFERENCES FROM AMERICAN 

LEADS. 

(Including the Hamilton Modifications.) 







No. I. 








Hearts trump. Leader, North. South holds c?? A, 10,2. 




Q4k 




44^ 




36i^ 


1 


5<Sb 7c5b 


2 


JcSb 




2<5b 




AcS. 




No. 2. 


Hearts trump. Leader, North. South holds (§3 8, 2. 


104^ 


Ac§. 


1 


4* 


2* 


Trick 2. — West leads a Diamond, won by North. 




Q4k 




7* 


3 


K<S> 



8<5. 

(307) 



3o8 Inferences from American Leads. 

No. 3. 
Hearts trump. Leader, North. South holds 10,5,3. 

20 



1 AO 



30 

Trick 2.— East leads a Club, won by North. 

3 90 



50 



No. 4. 
Hearts trump. Leader, North, South holds ^ A, 6, 4, 2. 

7^ 



1 \8^ 



A^ 

Assume that neither opponent is signalling for trumps. 



No. 5- 
Clubs trump. Leader, South, who holds <> A,J,io,9,5. 
30 80 

7]20 



40 



KO 2 



7 



A4 



9^ 



Inferences from American Leads. 309 
No. 6. 

Clubs trump. Leader, North. South holds ^ Q J,8. 



7V 



K^ 1 6<^ 



1 ! 



Trick 2. — West leads small Diamond, won by East. 
Trick 3. — East leads the King of trumps. 



No. 7. 



Clubs trump. Leader, North. South holds ^ Q,9,4. 



7V 



2^ 



5^ 



Q^ 



Trick 2. — South leads a Spade, won by West. 
Trick 3. — West leads a Diamond, won by North. 



8^ 



J¥ 



4^ 



A^ 



3IO Inferences from American Leads. 

No. 8. 

Clubs trump. Leader, South, who holds K,Q,6,4,3. 



70 



&0 



AO 



Trick 2. — East leads a Heart, won by North. 

10 ♦ 
80 



3<53 



30 



No. 9. 
Spades trump. Leader, South, who holds (§3 Q,J,io,2. 



3cg> 



4* 



AcSb 



104^ 



Trick 2. — East leads a Diamond, won by South. 



56^ 



7cg, 



8* 



Q4k 



Inferences from American Leads. 311 
No. 10. 
Spades trump. Leader, West. South holds (} 8,7,5,2. 
30 40 

9^ 1 KO QO 2 J^ 



20 



50 



No. II. 
Spades trump. I,eader, South, who holds ^ A, J, 10,9. 

5^ 
2^ 



K^ 



9¥ 



Trick 2. — East leads a Club, won by North. 

7^1 3 U^ 



A^ 



No. 12. 
Spades trump. Leader, South, who holds ^ K,Q,9,4,2. 

^5^ 



7^ 1 3^:? 

I 

Q¥ 



10^ 



2V 



312 Inferences from American Leads. 

No. 13. 

Spades trump. Leader, North. South holds c§5 A,6,4, 



104^ 



Kcfr 



26h 



4c& 



Trick 2. — West leads a Diamond, won by North. 



Q4^ 



5(53 3 



7c2d 



6c25 



No. 14. 

Diamonds trump. Leader, West. South holds ^ K, 
7> 5, 3. 

64^ 



2* 1 J4^ 



Trick 2.— Won by East. 



4« 



K4i 



10 4i 



34i 



8* 



Inferences from American Leads. 313 
No. 15. 
Diamonds trump. L,eader, East. South holds ^ Q,4,3- 



3^ 



Q^ 



No. 16. 
Diamonds trump. Leader, East. South holds cjj 7,4. 

J* 



5* 



A* 



3(5> 



4c8) 



7* 



No. 17. 
Diamonds trump. Leader, North. South holds A Q, 6, 5, 



34^ 



Trick 2.— Won by North. 



Q^ 



10 ♦ 



24^ 



9* 



54i 



314 Inferences from American Leads. 

No. 18. 
Diamonds trump. Leader, East. 

2c&| 1 |j* AcS^la Q* 



9c§D 



40 



No. 19. 
Clubs trump. Leader, North. South holds ^ K,8,7. 



2^ 



7^ 



THc^ 2.^ — West leads a Heart, won by North. 

J* 



K^ 



No. 20. 
Clubs trump. Leader, North. South holds (Ji A, 8,4. 
104 94 

5^ 



2^ 



7* 



34^ 



44i 



84^ 



Inferences from American Leads. 315 

THE INFERENCES. 

No. I. 

North's lead of Queen implies King and at least three 
small cards. North's card on the second round (the 4) 
shows that he led from five exactly. East's play of Jack 
shows no more. West, playing the 7, does not hold the 
6. Therefore North remains with King, 6 and either 8 or 
9 ; while West has the one card which North has not. 

No. 2. 

North remains with the Jack and 3 only, East with the 
6 and 5 ; whether East or West holds the 9 is uncertain. 
That North led from not more than four cards is shown 
by the lead of the Queen on second round. East's return 
of a Spade proves that his 4 was not the beginning of a 
signal. 

No. 3. 

North's lead of Jack followed by King shows five ex- 
actly in suit ; therefore the 8 is in West's hand, since East 
played 9 under the King. If North had held the 8 (as well 
as the 6 and 4) he would have followed the Jack with the 
Queen. 

No. 4. 

North holds King, Jack, 10, 5, 3 ; West holds the 
Queen single. The Queen cannot be in East's hand, or, 
having Queen and 8 only, he would have covered the 9. 



L 



3i6 Inferences from American Leads. 

No. 5. 

West holds the 6, and East the Queen. For West's 
King denies the Queen ; and if North had held Queen and 
8 only on the second round, he would have unblocked by 
throwing the Queen under the King. 

No. 6. 

Since the 7 is North's fourth best, he must remain 
with Ace, 10, 9. He can hold no others, or would have be- 
gun with the Ace. Since East^ on getting the lead, starts 
trumps (from three honors, or King, Queen, 10), he may 
have begun a signal at Trick i, and may hold Heart 5, 4, 3 
or 2. But three at least of these four cards must be held by 
West. 

No. 7. 

North has King, 10, 3, and East the 6. If North had 
held six originally, he would have continued not with the 
Jack but with the 10. 

No. 8. 

West is not signalling, so that North must have held 
up the 2 on the first round. Hence North must have the 
9, and West the Jack single. (On the next round, North 
will get rid of the 9, so as to clear the 6 and 4 for South.) 

No. 9. 

North must hold the King. The cards played by East 
and West show him to hold the 6 also. If he had held 



Inferences from American Leads. 317 

King, 6, 5, 3 only, he would have retained the 3 to South's 
original lead of Queen. Hence he has the 9 also, and both 
opponents are void. 

No. 10. 

East has no more (see play of third hand on a 9 led, 
p. ). West has Ace, 10 only (or would have opened with 
the Ace). Hence North has the 6 single. 

No. II. 

North must have retained the 3, with four Hearts ex- 
actly, returning his highest card, the 8. He therefore holds 
the 6 also. West has the Queen single. 

No. 12. 

North knows that South has led from King, Queen, 
five at least in suit. By playing the Jack, with the Ace in 
hand, he announces that he also holds one small card, the 
6. Both opponents are void. 

No. 13. 

North's lead of Queen on second round shows not 
more than four clubs. So that he remains with 10, 3 ex- 
actly. The 9 and 8 are both adverse, but cannot otherwise 
be located. 

No. 14. 



h 



West has Queen, 9 ; North the Ace single ; East no 
more. (West's passing the 8 is the ''finesse obligatory.") 



3i8 Inferences from American Leads. 

No. 15. 

East has King, 9 ; North no more. West, by returning 
the 7, shows either the 6 single, or the 2 single, or no more. 
North has therefore the 6 or 2 (less probably, both). His 
finesse on the second round would not be sound unless he 
were strong enough to lead a trump, if the finesse suc- 
ceeded. 

No. 16. 

East has the Queen and two more trumps left in hand. 
West has echoed, and must have two more. North is 
therefore void. 

No. 17. 

North has the King, Jack, 7, 4. Both opponents are 
void. 

No. 18. 

East has announced six Clubs, at least, originally. 
West has announced one more Club remaining in hand. 
(Had West held Ace, 2 only, he would have played the Ace 
on the Jack.) Unless East led from seven, North holds one 
more Club, the 8 or the 10. 

No. 19. 

North has Queen, 9, 3 or Queen, 5, 3 at least. If he 
has not the 5, East has it. If not the 9, either East or West 
may have it. Possibly North holds all the four Spades ; in 
any case, the suit is established. 

No. 20. 

North has the Queen and Jack only; East the King 
and 6. 



^6e 
Combination Gaine< 



THE COMBINATION GAME. 



Mathews and the players of his time practiced a game 
which was quite devoid of arbitrary conventions. The 
leads were simple contrivances for trick-taking and con- 
veying information of strength 1)y logical processes. 
Whilst the main efforts of good players were directed to- 
ward establishing and bringing in long suits, considerable 
freedom was exercised in the selection of openings and the 
hand was not infrequently broached with a short suit. 

About i860 the dicta of Pole and "Cavendish" began 
to exert a widespread influence over Whist players, and the 
theory of the uniform long suit opening was almost uni- 
versally accepted by scientific players. The weak points of 
this restrictive method soon became apparent and led to 
the invention of numerous systems under the generic style 
of the Short Suit Game. These, for the most part, were 
almost as radical in the matter of short suit leads as the 
rival school in the opposite direction. Whilst none of these 
innovations had sufficient merit to assure permanency, 
the experiments in short suit play served to draw attention 
to certain important principles which had not previously 
received adequate consideration. The strategic features 
of tenace, finesse and the supporting card lead were dem- 
onstrated as never before, and attracted the attention of 
all classes of players. Comparative analysis disclosed the 
21 (321) 



32 2 The Combination Game. 

fact that in fundamental particulars bath systems were 
sound and that the fault of practice lay in striving to make 
a narrow theory control the opening under all conditions 
instead of allowing each opening to conform to principle. 
It was evident that although the majority of hands were 
adapted to treatment by the long suit methods, many 
others accommodated themselves more readily to short 
suit strategy. The realization of this fact suggested the 
corollary that a system which would lend itself as easily to 
one form of tactics as to the other must be better than one 
which Avas adapted to either alone. The desire to formu- 
late a simple and flexible method of play, coupled with the 
wish to dispense with the American Leads and the many 
arbitrary conventions which have become almost insep- 
arable from them, led to what is indifferently styled the 
non-conventional, the non-informatory, the common- 
sense, the combination and sometimes — so indefinite and 
unsatisfactory is Whist phraseolog}- — the short suit sys- 
tem. Of these terms non-informatory and common-sense 
are particularly infelicitous. The system of opening con- 
veys an unusual amount of information and the game re- 
quires for its successful practice a very uncommon order of 
sense. The name "combination," which is most com- 
prehensive and appropriate, will be used in this treatise. 
The Combination Game is, in effect, a reaction to the 
intellectual methods of Mathews with the retention of all 
of real value which the later stages of evolution have pro- 
duced. Xumber showing leads and practically all other 
arbitrary conventions being eliminated, inferences must be 
drawn solely from the fall of the cards. This fact and the 
exceptional judgment required in the opening make it the 



The Combination Game. 323 

most difficult game to play, and one which should not be 
attempted until a thorough mastery has been acquired of 
the principles of \Miist. 

The student who has a complete understanding of the 
long suit system, as expounded in the earlier portion of 
this book, is already master of the principles underlying the 
Combination Game, which differs but little from the former 
in essentials. 

The distinguishing characteristics of the Combination 
system are : 

1. Perfect freedom is allowed in the opening lead, 
which is governed by the composition of the hand. 

2. Short suits are generally played from the top dowm- 
ward, both in leading and in following suit. 

3. Apart from the leads, conventional practices are 
almost entirely eschewed. 

THE FUNCTIONS OF SUITS. 

The earliest writers upon the game of Whist evinced 
an appreciation of the advantages of establishment. Hoyle 
says : "When you lead begin with the best suit in your 
hand." Mathews declares that ''cards being nearly equal, 
the point to which all the manoeuvres of good Whist 
players tend is to establish a long suit and to preserve the 
last trump to bring it into play and to frustrate the same 
play of the adversaries." It will be noticed that whilst 
recommending long suit tactics under favorable conditions, 
Mathews recognizes the necessary limitations of that 
method of play. The qualification ''cards being nearly 
equal" is equivalent to saying "the distribution being nor- 
mal." The original leader is not justified in crediting his 



324 The Combination Game. 

partner with more than average strength, and if his own 
hand falls considerably short of that standard it fails to 
comply with the conditions laid down by Mathews for long 
suit play. That writer, as well as Hoyle, recommends 
short suit leads under certain conditions. Neither of them 
contemplated the long suit opening from unusually weak 
hands. It is not mere establishment that Mathews had in 
mind in the maxim from which we have quoted, but also the 
ultimate bringing in of the long cards. It cannot be denied 
that the possession of an established suit has a deterrent 
efifect upon the adversaries of the holder, but such a suit 
is not a positive force in itself, and the benefit derived from 
it is often far from commensurate with the result which 
might have been achieved by a different order of play. 

The combination player discriminates between those 
hands which afford a reasonable prospect of bringing in a 
suit and those from which the attempt could only be made 
against probabilities. 

To revert to Mathews's proposition : it is conceded that 
the opening of a long suit is best calculated to ''frustrate 
the same play of the adversaries," if the suit is really 
strong and not so merely in the technical sense of number- 
ing four cards. On the other hand, the lead from a suit 
headed by a low card is more likely to result in establish- 
ment with an opponent than with the partner. 

Unless from a probably established suit (that is, one 
of five or six cards, headed by the tierce major or seven or 
more including the ace and king), or three high cards in 
sequence, every plain suit opening is more or less defensive 
in its nature. When the hand contains no combination of 
more than four cards in length, nor one including two 



Tlie Combination Game. 325 

honors, it is decidedly unfitted for attacking play, and the 
leader's aim should be to make the opening which will least 
strengthen the adversaries and least impair his own power 
of resistance. 

Ex.—Q, 8, 5, 4; ^ J, 6, 4, 3; 6h Q, J, 10; 8, 5, 4- 

The partner's share of the outstanding honors in 
Hearts is one and the odds are 2 to i that it is not the 
Ace, so that there is not even a good prospect of one trick 
in the suit if it is opened, and the adversaries are more like- 
ly to benefit by the lead from it. On the other hand the 
Club Queen may be led without any possible advantage to 
the adversaries from tenace or position and without im- 
pairing the defensive capacity of the suit. 

Unless a plain suit has more than average strength — 
counting four cards with one honor as the practical aver- 
age — an original lead from it can be but tentative, and all 
short suit openings are of a similar character. The aggres- 
sive capacity of a short suit, no matter what its composi- 
tion, is very limited. If the leader holds ace, king and queen 
only, the chances are 17 to 5 that an opponent has four or 
more of the suit. If the commanding cards were led out 
the suit would probably be established adversely. The ar- 
gument does not, however, apply to a lower sequence, such 
as queen, jack, 10. In this case the commanding cards are 
outstanding, and if adverse will be forced out ; whereas, in 
the former instance, the master cards would drawthe lowest 
of the adversaries, enhancing the power of their holdings 
in proportion as it diminished that of the leader. The lead 
from the lower sequence, on the contrary, cannot reduce 
its relative effectiveness, nor can it cause any decrease in 



326 Tlie Combination Game. 

partner's strength. In the matter of trick-taking a three- 
card sequence can gain nothing by being led up to ; but 
there may be considerable advantage in leading it, as when 
the left hand adversary holds an honor subordinate to an- 
other in the partner's hand. 

When the three-card suit is headed by a non-finessable 
card, the question assumes an entirely different aspect. A 
worse lead than from 7, 4, 2, for instance, can hardly be 
conceived. The suit has neither aggressive nor defensive 
capability ; it afifords no support to partner, but necessitates 
his putting in his best card of a suit, in which the balance 
of strength is probably largely in favor of the opposition. 
The deduction of one or two cards from the suit opens up a 
different consideration. The lead from fewer than three 
has the advantage of affording a prospective opportunity 
to rufif, and consequently a defense against the adversaries' 
strength in the suit. For this reason it is not open to the 
objection raised against the lead from three small cards. 
Short suits may thus be divided into three classes: (i) 
Supporting suits, /. c, those headed by queen, jack, 10 or 9. 
The lead from such, by permitting partner to finesse, en- 
ables him to retain his strength intact as a defense against 
the probably greater strength of the other side. The most 
effective of the suits of this class are those which consist 
of three cards in sequence. (2) Short suits proper, or ruff- 
able suits, /. e., those numbering fewer than three cards. 
These have an abstract capacity for defense in the contin- 
gent ability to ruff them. Suits of this class may belong to 
the first, and vice versa. (3) Worthless suits, /. e., those 
composed of three lozv cards. Such suits have no value, in- 
herent or otherwise. 



THe Combination Game. 327 

The chief departure of the combination player from 
the practice of the Pole-Cavendish school consists in his 
treatment of "long" and ''strong" suits. By the latter all 
suits of four or more cards are embraced in one category 
under those terms, which are used interchangeably. The 
former considers four cards as the practical average of 
length, as in fact they are. He endeavors to impart some- 
thing of an intelligible meaning to the word "strong" as he 
uses it. In general it must imply a combination of high 
cards and numerical strength, although in extreme cases 
either alone may be sufficient to justify the qualification. 
Ordinarily a four-card suit, or one headed by the 9, would 
not be called "strong," but both of the following are un- 
doubtedly so, <5> A, K, Q, J, and ^ 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. In 
seeking a standard four cards suits are dismissed and the 
minimum of strength is set at five cards, with one honor 
and the 10. Strong suits are expected to exhibit two gen- 
eral characteristics : they must offer a prospect of the hold- 
er having long cards after establishment and under normal 
conditions thev must be establishable within three rounds. 

In brief: according to the Combination System, long 
suits are offensive or defensive in their character, and much 
of the secret of success in the Combination Game depends 
upon exercising correct judgment in the selection of the 
purpose to which a suit should be applied. Thus far we 
have considered only the capacity of various suits. The 
best use for them under different conditions will be deter- 
mined by considering them as component parts of hands. 



328 The Combination Game. 

THE OPENING LEAD. 

Although the original lead is desirable on account of 
the opportunity it affords for giving early information to 
the partner and immediate direction to the course of play, 
the position of leader to any particular trick is generally 
the least advantageous at the table. The value of the lead 
increases, however, as the game develops, but in the first 
stages it may be a positive detriment. An established suit, 
or one headed by three high cards in sequence, may as well 
be opened as led up to. Such suits, and those which are 
within one round of establishment, will generally be good 
openings, irrespective of the auxiliary factors, although the 
latter class will frequently include tenaces. 

Hoyle and Mathews were not unmindful of the fact 
that different hands presented different problems to the 
original leader. Their appreciation of the advantages of 
the long suit game did not blind them to the futility of play- 
ing it under unpromising conditions. A common maxim in 
those days was : "Do not play a strong game with a weak 
hand, nor a weak game with a strong hand." It may be 
added that the early writers did not characterize a hand as 
strong merely on account of the presence of a strong suit 
in it, as m.any later authors have done. 

Previous to the dominance of the Pole-Cavendish 
school it had been the practice of all good players to adapt 
their game to the composition of their hands, using long 
or short suit tactics as the conditions warranted. The Com- 
bination System is a reversion to that method, based on a 
conviction that both the long and short suit theories are 
correct in principle, but that exclusive adherence to either 



The Combination Game. 329 

is unsound. The question is when to adopt the one form 
of tactics and when the other. 

The estabhshment and bringing in of a suit depend 
upon three factors which may be found in one hand or 
possessed by the partners jointly, (i) Strength in the suit 
itself. (2) Trump strength. (3) Reentry strength. The 
minimum strength, which will justify the original leader in 
an attempt to bring in a suit, is five cards, including an 
honor and the 10, supported by at least one of the auxihary 
factors. Proportionately to the deficiency of one of these, 
there should be an excess in the other. If the trumps are 
weak (that is, fewer than four with two honors or ace and 
10), there should be two or more reentries in the side suits ; 
in the absence of plain suit reentries the trumps should be 
fully up to the standard of strength. Aces and guarded 
kings are the only cards which may safely be relied upon 
for reentry at the commencement of a deal, although as it 
progresses lower cards will be promoted to that capacity. 

Briefly, it may be stated that when the strong suit — 
that is, one of five cards with an honor and 10 or better — 
is held in conjunction with either of the other two factors 
of strength, the conditions are favorable to long suit or ag- 
gressive tactics. 

Ex.—Q, K, J, 9, 4 ; ^ K, Q, 9, 8, 6 ; eft 6 ; <> 9, 8, 6. 

Ex.-{^ 8, 7, 6; ^ K, O, 9, 8, 6; cJd A, 5; A, Q, 2. 

It must not be understood that no long suit opening is 
allowable except under the conditions detailed above. The 
best defensive lead may be from a suit supported by less 
auxiliary strength, but it will be merely tentative. A suit 
may be broached with another object in view than bringing 



330 The Combination Game. 

it in. When a player opens an average four-card suit it is 
without a probabiHty of his bringing in even one long card. 
Or to take an extreme illustration, which, however, demon- 
strates the proposition. South holds ^ 7, 6;^6,5,4,3,2; 
<5^ 5. 4» 3; 7» ^> 2. Opening the Hearts could not imply 
an attempt to bring them in, which would be practically 
impossible. 

The foregoing standards of strength are based upon 
the supposition that the leader's partner will hold his nor- 
mal share of the cards. The Combination Game, more 
than any other, requires that a player shall have a working 
knowledge of the mathematical probabilities of Whist. 
Such a knowledge is necessary to make the opening lead 
with judgment, and in the after-play, in a system which 
makes little provision for the guidance of the player by 
rules. In this respect the Tables of Probabilities incorpo- 
rated in this book will be found of considerable service. 

When the hand contains six or more trumps, it will 
nearly always be opened with them, but the lead will not 
be made from five unless the hand also includes a plain 
suit worth playing for, or has all-round protection. If, how- 
ever, the trumps are headed by the tierce major or tierce to 
king, one or two rounds will generally be taken at once, 
regardless of the other components of the hand. 

Ex.—C^ A, 9, 8, 6, 5, 2; ^ Q, 5, 3; cSd 6, 4; 8, 6. 

A tentative lead of trumps would be made from this 
holding. 

Ex.—C^ K, 9, 8, 6, 5; ^ Q. 9, 7, 6; eg) J, 10, 8; <> 6. 

The Club Jack should be the opening. The leader 
would not court a force whilst uncertain whether or not 



The Combination Game. 331 

his partner had a hand which would be benefited by trump 
extraction. 

The trump opening is almost invariably made from a 
split hand. 

The combination player will lead trumps freely from 
short holdings when he is exceptionally strong in plain 
suits, and in general when his hand would be greatly 
benefited by extraction. His partner is expected to exer- 
cise his judgment in the matter of continiiing the trumps, 
but such a lead unequivocally directs him to play a forward 
and aggressive game. 

The preceding propositions are comparatively definite 
and not greatly at variance with ordinary long suit me- 
thods. We now come to an examination of hands which 
require more consideration to determine the proper treat- 
ment of them. Our purpose can be best accomplished 
through the medium of examples, which must serve as 
types ; for the manner of opening hands according to com- 
bination tactics is not susceptible of regulation by rigid 
rules. The examples are purposely inserted without sys- 
tematic arrangement, in the belief that contrast will tend to 
emphasize the principles involved. 

Example,— C^ 8,7,6 ; ^ K,Q,9,8,5 ; c?d 7>4.2 ; <> 1,9- 

The Heart suit is strong enough but it has absolutely 
no support. The combination player would not deceive 
his partner by opening it, but would rather lead him a 
strengthening Diamond, warning him of weakness in that 
suit, and allowing him to take the direction of the sub- 
sequent play. 

Example.— C^ '^,6,2- ^1,8,6,4,3; (§5 9,7>5,3 ; 3- 



332 The Combination Game. 

In this case not only is the hand deficient of trump 
strength and reentries, but the long suit is not within a 
calculable degree of establishment, and could only be 
brought in on condition that the partner held an abnor- 
mally strong hand. He must have at least three of the 
suit, including two honors ; he must have a preponderance 
of trump strength and not less than one sure reentry, and 
the course of the deal must be favorable. No player of 
judgment would attempt an enterprise which required such 
extraordinary conditions for its success, especially as, by 
inviting his partner to enter upon an impracticable task, 
he might be diverting him from a feasible plan of action. 
The singleton would be led. 

Example,— C^ 9,3 ; ^ K, 0,9, 8, 6 ; cj» Q,7,2 ; <> K,5,4. 

The Hearts would be played for in this hand, which 
contains stoppers or reentries in each of the side suits. It 
is not unreasonable to play with the hope of finding partner 
strong enough to extract trumps. 

Example.— C^ 7,5 ; ^ K,Q,6,4 ; c& A,Q,5,3 ; <> K,Q,8. 

The combination player would open trumps unhesitat- 
ingly from the above holding. He has no strong suit to 
play for, but has ample all-round protection. If for no 
other reason, the trumps would be commendable on the 
ground of throwing the lead, for each of the plain suits is an 
undesirable one to open and a good one to have led to, the 
king-queen combination being almost as favorable as the 
tenace in this respect. In actual play. South led the Heart 
4, the trick falling to the Jack with East. That player re- 
turned his only remaining card of the suit, South's Queen 
being taken with West's Ace. The third round East ruffed, 



The Combination Game. 333 

reentered his partner with a Diamond and made the second 
of two trumps, originally, upon the fourth Heart trick. 
Meanwhile North was lying with five trumps to the Ace, 
Queen, Jack, over four in West's hand. Four tricks were 
lost by the opening — not through chance, but sheer bad 
judgment. 

Example.— C^^,,'^,'], 2', ^ A,K,Q,8,6,5 ; c& A,4 ; Of. 

Ordinarily a hand consisting of an established suit, 
four trumps and a card of reentry, will be opened with a 
trump, but when the trumps are below standard strength — 
or, say, of less strength than queen, 10, x, x — so that the 
leader is not likely to take the third round, the strong suit 
should be shown before the trump lead is made. 

Examples.— C^ Q,io,6,3; ^ A,Q,J,9,7; 6^ K,4; <^ 7,5. 
C^ 9,7,2; ^ AJ, 10,9, 7, 5; c& A, 6; <> 7,5. 

In both the foregoing examples the Heart should be 
opened. The first hand is exceptionally well constituted 
for long suit tactics. In the second case the suit has very 
little auxiliary support, but its length creates the prospect 
of establishment on the second round. 

Examples.-C^ 7,6,4,3 ; ^ A,Q,J,9,7 ; eg) J,8 ; <> 8,7. 
C^ 9,7,2; ^ A,J, 10,9,7,5; c§3 10,4,2 ; J. 

Compare the last examples with the two foregoing. 
Both of the latter should be opened v/ith a short suit — the 
Club and Diamond respectively. The strong suits are the 
same in both cases, but in the short suit examples the 
trumps are too weak to be of any service in the process of 
extraction, and there are no reentries in the hands. 

Example.— Qi A,^,'], 6,2 ; <^ A, J, 10,9, 7,5 ; eg) 6 ; 5- 



334 '^^^ Combination Game. 

The majority of long suit players would open this 
hand with a trump. Not so the combination player. With 
a long unestablished suit and two singletons he would re- 
connoitre first. A cross-ruff might develop and prove more 
profitable than trump extraction. The Hearts would be 
opened, informing partner of a strong suit which was suf- 
ficiently supported to be worth playing for. Note that the 
trumps here are no better than four and a necessary re- 
entry, for it is improbable that the partner w411 have a 
Heart left after the second round. The following hand is 
about the practical equivalent of the one under considera- 
tion, the King being included to make up for the increased 
chance of a long adverse holding. 

Example.— C^ A,K,8,7; ^ AJ, 10,9,7,5 ; (^3 4; A, 2. 

Very few players would open this hand with a trump, 
and there does not appear to be any greater reason for the 
opening in the other case. 

Example.— C^ 6,2; ^ K,Q,io,8,7 ; c?^ A,9,6 ; 0^,7,2. 

The Heart King would be led, and if it held the trick, 
the trump. 

Example.— Qi 8,7,6,4,3,2 ; ^ A,8,7,5 ; c?d Q,9,8 ; 4- 

With six small trumps, and little or nothing in the 
hand worth playing for, the best lead would be the single- 
ton, showing partner as soon as possible that the suit could 
be ruffed. 

^.^«w//<?.— ^ A,K,io,7,5,3; ^9^8,6,5; c&)J,8; ^4. 

Here, however, the trumps being strong and well cal- 
culated to protect any strength the partner may have, they 
would be led, although the plain suit is even weaker than in 
the former case. 



The Combination Game. 335 

Example.— C^^,\\ ^Q,8,7,5,4; c?) A,Q,5 ; <>J,io,9. 

This hand faUs short of the standard for long suit tac- 
tics. If the hand contained four trumps and but one Dia- 
mond, or if the King- was substituted for one of the small 
Hearts, that suit might be played for. Under the present 
conditions the Diamond Jack would be led. 

Example.— C^ K, 10,9,7 ; ^ io.9)7.5>3 ; & 9)8.5 ; J- 

The Hearts are too weak to play for with no reentry 
support. The best lead is the Club. The Diamond is ob- 
jectionable, because it is undesirable to court a force upon 
four trumps which may prove the mainstay of partner at a 
later stage. 

Example.— (^ 10,9,7; ^ 10,9,7,5,3; c§) 9.8,5,2 ; <> J. 

In this case, however, the Diamond would be led, ruff- 
ing being the only use the trumps are likely to serve. 

Example.— ^YL.T, 2', ^ A,Q,io,4; c& K,J,6; OQJ.io, 

The hand has nearly sufficient strength to warrant a 
trump lead, but the Diamond is a better opening, entailing 
no risk and enabling the leader to hold back his tenaces in 
the other suits. A strong objection to the trump lead is 
that it would necessarily be with a low card, and so decep- 
tive m character. In a game depending entirely upon 
natural inferences, as the Combination System does, it is 
imperatively necessary that the leader's partner should find 
things to be just what their purport is. 

Example.—/^ K,J,7,2; ^ A, 0,10,4,2; ^ A, 2; <> J, 10. 

The correct opening from this hand is undoubtedly a 
small Heart. The most common failing with combination 
players is that of placing too great an estimate on the ad- 
vantages of tenace. The subject has had extensive consid- 



336 



The Combination Game. 



eration in another part of this book and it is unnecessary 
to repeat the argument. Suffice it to say, that whilst every 
reasonable opportunity for finesse should be embraced, a 
hand which is distinctly qualified for the long suit game 
should be opened with the strong suit, notwithstanding it 
contains a tenace. A point frequently overlooked, is that 
in a suit which must be opened with a low card there is 
often great advantage in the one free lead which falls to the 
original opener. All later leads are secured at the expense 
of a reentry and the consequent reduction of the chance of 
establishing and bringing in the suit. In the hand under 
consideration suppose South to open with the Diamonds, 
the following would not be at all an improbable develop- 
ment : 

60 4c& 



20 



QO 



Kc& 



6 4k 



7 



5c§: 



84 



AO 



V* 



10 



Ac2) 



South is now in the lead, with his Club reentry gone, 
and nothing for it but to open the Hearts under disadvan- 
tageous conditions. 

^.r«?;z//f.—4i 9,8,6,5 ; ^ A,Q,8,6,4 ; cg^ J,9 ; 0^,2. 

The above hand, slightly modified, is reproduced 
from a published duplicate deal. At one table the leader 
opened with the Club Jack, and the adversaries made a 
slam, the entire Heart suit being discarded. When the 



The Combination Game. 337 

tenace suit was led the leader's side made five tricks. The 
deal is given on page 366. 

Example.— (^ 6,5,3 ; ^ A,Q,8,6,5 ; c§5 10,8 ; <0> 6,4,2. 

Here the long tenace suit is a hopeless proposition, 
and the lead from it would deceive partner into a belief that 
the leader was strong enough to play for the suit. All pos- 
sible advantage of position should be taken in this case 
and the Club led. 

The original opening in the Combination Game con- 
veys a greater amount of general information than the 
lead under any other system. The American Lead is 
a detailed statement of the composition of the suit opened, 
which not infrequently benefits the adversaries, especially 
the second hand, to a greater extent than it does the 
partner. Beyond the suit in question the partner of the 
American Leads player gains no knowledge of the compo- 
sition of his hand, and he may remain completely in the 
dark with regard to the rest of it during several tricks of a 
deal. Every opening according to the Combination System 
has a broad significance. When the leader opens a strong 
suit he not only indicates its possession, but also declares 
it to be supported by sufficient auxiliary strength to war- 
rant an expectation of bringing it in, if the partner can ex- 
tend but normal assistance. The latter is thus able to 
make his calculations wuth a greater degree of intelligence 
and precision. 

Example. — North holds C^ K,Q,9; ^ A, J; c£) 10,8,7,2; 
QJ,6,4. 

South, playing the American Leads, opens with the 

Heart Queen, announcing King and five or more in suit. 

North takes the trick, but not knowing whether his partner 
22 



338 Tlie Combination Game. 

has a single w inning canl outside ot the Hearts, can but re- 
turn the suit. 

Xow, suppose the players to be practicing combination 
tactics. South opens with the King. His partner marks 
him with Queen and five at least in suit, supported by a fair 
anwunt of auxiliary strength. He can afford the assistance 
the leader looks for — that of an average holding — and 
leads trumps, with confidence that the result will be satis- 
factory. This ability to draw broad inferences from the lead 
enables the combination pla\er to dispense with the trump 
signal without detriment to his game. 

A short-suit opening warns the partner that the de- 
fense of the suit will devolve entirely ui)on him. The short- 
suit lead is not construed as an indication of a worthless 
hand, but as an intimation that it is lacking in a greater 
or less degree the composite strength necessary to play the 
long-suit game. If the development shows that the partner 
can remedy the defect in the leader's hand, aggressive tac- 
tics will be instituted ; if, on the other hand, it appears that 
the preponderance of strength is decidedly adverse, the 
partner will adopt similar tactics to those of the leader and 
return a short suit from his side. 

The combination player disputes the long accepted 
proposition that the lead of weak suits tends to establish 
them adversely. If he has any protection in a suit which 
his partner has led from weakness the opponents will find 
it an exceptionally difficult one to clear. The force of the 
contention w ill be more apparent when the play of third 
hand on supporting cards is considered. Leads from three- 
card suits are avoided unless they are headed by a support- 
ing card. A combination of three cards, of w hich the high- 



The Combination Game. 339 

est is too small io be finessed, is never led as an original 
opening. A low card may, however, be opened with, from 
fewer than three with a view to rufftng. 

The queen is not led from short suits unless accom- 
panied by the jack, and the lead of the latter, when accom- 
panied by Iz^v cards exclusive of the 10, is discountenanced. 
In the case of these ncjn-sequence suits the high card, 
which if retained might prove a stopper, when led deprives 
the suit of its defensive power and frequently aids the 
opposite side to establish it. 

A strengthening card conveys the inference that a re- 
turn of the suit is not desired; a low card led from fewer 
than three is understood to mean that the leader is weak 
in trumps and anxious to rufT. Neither of these deductions 
is rigidly drawn. 

PLAIN SUIT LEADS. 

Ace is led from any combination of five or more which 
does not include the king, and from ace, queen, jack, etc. 

King is led from any combination which embraces the 
ace or queen. 

Note. — The lead should be low from king-queen four 
only, unless the 10 is also held. 

Queen is led from queen, jack, 10, etc., and as a sup- 
porting card from fewer than four wJieii accompanied by jack. 

Jack is led as a supporting card when single or with 
ojic lower, but seldom from three cards unless the 10 be one 
of them.* 



•Whilst some combinalif)!! players adhere to the ohl leads in ioto, 
inanj' get along very well without a jaek lead from strength, tinding th<? 
great value ol that eanl as an unniistakahle strengthener of more aecount 
than th«' rather remote danger of jiartner hlneking with the aee. C)f 
eourst? the follow will always direct his play in that respect. If the king, 
having been opened with from tieree fuur in suit, holds the trick, the 
continuation Is low; if from live iu suit, the follow is with jack. . 



340 The Combinatiou Game. 

10 is led as a supporting card from holdings of fewer 
than four. 

Note. — The king, jack, lo combination is opened low. 

9 is led in support from fewer than four, and as the 
lowest of three specific four-card combinations: Ace, 
queen, lo, 9; ace, jack, 10, 9, and king, jack, 10, 9. 

Thus jack and 10 are unequivocal supporting cards, 
and the 9 can generally be read without diflficulty. 

From all other combinations the lowest card of the 
suit is led. 

TRUMP LEADS. 

For the most part combination players show number 
in trumps by using the American Leads, or the King Leads 
combined with the ''fourth best." The practice is perfectly 
logical, for when a player is strong enough to lead trumps 
he may give detailed information without fear of the adver- 
saries deriving the greatest benefit from it. 

FOLLOWING WITH SHORT SUITS. 

In following suit, holdings of three or fewer are played 
down, unless they include a possible trick. The rule applies 
to all positions at the table. When a player drops a low 
card and next a higher — say 3, then 6 — he announces that 
he holds four or more of the suit or can contest the third 
round. As the trump signal is not used this method of 
playing short suits occasions no ambiguity, and it is very 
effective in assisting the count of a suit. The fall to the 
first trick will frequently show at once that a player cannot 
be throwing the lowest of four, as when he follows with 8 
or 9, If, to the succeeding round of the suit, he plays 2 (or 



The Combination Game. 341 

4, the lower cards being marked elsewhere), he is clearly 
out and able to ruff. Combination players claim, with ap- 
parent truth, that the information thus acquired secures 
many more tricks than could be gained by the use of the 
trump call. As against the assertion that this is an arbi- 
trary convention it is contended that the ''down and out" 
manner of following with short suits is a legitimate exten- 
sion of the method of leading such suits and of covering 
second hand with cards — such as 10 or 9 — when their re- 
tention could do no good. 

By some players this method of treating short suits is 
invariably practiced; others adopt it only when following 
to partner's lead from strength ; others again, whilst uni- 
formly playing "down and out" in partner's suit, do so in 
adverse suits only when it appears to be probable that the 
information conveyed will be of greatest service to the 
partner. 

SECOND HAND. 

The section on Second Hand play in the first part of 
the book, with a few^ additions, will apply to the Combina- 
tion Game. The long suit rule to play high with any com- 
bination from which one would lead high is extended to 
short suits. Holding a supporting suit, second hand should 
cover a low card led. 

Any lower cards would be covered from the following 
holdings: Queen, jack, 4; jack, 10, 2; 10, 7, 6; 10, 3; 9, 8, 
2, and with the exception of the first two examples the 
suits would be played from the top down on high cards. 
In the following cases, however, a low card would not be 
covered: Queen, 7, 5; queen, 6; jack, 8, 3; nor would they 
be considered good strengthening leads. 



342 The Combination Game. 

With any honor singly guarded, save the ace, a sup' 
porting card should be covered. All the high cards not in 
sight must be behind the second hand, and the best use 
he can put his singly-guarded honor to, is on the trick; ex- 
amination of the possible positions will demonstrate this 
proposition. When the ace is held with one other it is 
often a good plan to put it on a supporting card and con- 
tinue the suit, especially when second hand is willing to 
ruff. 

When more than one card is held with the king, or 
queen, or more than two with the jack, it will generally be 
well not to cover a supporting card. An honor thus led 
through should be held up, if possible, until second hand's 
cards become en foureheffe with the card led, or third hand 
is obliged to go in with a higher. The principle of defense 
against the short-suit lead is to prevent a finesse of the sup- 
porting card when it may be covered without hazarding a 
card which would probably stop the suit if retained ; other- 
wise to avoid expending one's strength on what may be the 
strong suit of the third hand. For example : lo being led, 
second hand would put on jack, holding that and one or 
two other cards, but not so if he had jack and three others. 
Again : second hand would cover jack from queen and one ; 
but he would pass holding queen and two or more. The 
fourth player is enabled to draw important inferences from 
the play of his partner on supporting cards. 

THIRD HAND. 

The play of third hand to a long suit lead is, in general, 
such as we have described in the early sections, with the 
exception of his follow with short suits. The frequency of 



The Combination Game. 343 

supporting card leads in the Combination Game, however, 
necessitates some modifications in the matter of covering 
and unblocking. 

PLAY ON A SUPPORTING CARD. 

The effectiveness of a strengthening card depends 
upon the manner in which third hand treats it. Mathews 
advised that such a lead should be acted upon as if it had 
been made by an adversary ; third hand was directed to 
finesse, to retain the command if possible, and to refrain 
from returning the suit. 

It is presupposed that the only supporting cards led 
will be such as are noted in the summary of leads. The 
question of covering will be affected by the player's length 
in suit, strength in trumps, the position of the lead to the 
next trick, the state of the deal, etc. General rules only can 
be advanced and the player must trust to experience and 
a thorough knowledge of principles to guide him in par- 
ticular situations. 

QUEEN. 

Third hand should almost invariably pass the queen. 
There may be rare occasions for overtaking the card, as 
when third hand holds ace, king, etc., and it is desirable to 
broach trumps without delay. 

JACK. 

This card is led only in support. Experience seems to 
prove that in such a game as the Combination System, the 
advantage of leading the jack from the quart major or 
tierce to king is more than offset by the benefit derived 
from absolute knowledge as to the character of the lead. 



344 The Combination Game. 

The jack should generally be passed. It has been con- 
tended that there can be no trick-taking advantage to third 
hand when holding ace and one, in declining to cover. The 
retention of the command until the second round, and the 
uncertainty of the opponents as to the position of the ace 
are, however, worthy of consideration. 

Holding ace, king and more than one other, third hand 
should cover as a rule. If the suit is continued later with 
the 10, the finesse may be taken, when more is known of 
the distribution^ with greater advantage than on the first 
round. 

10. 

The elimination of the lo from the long-suit leads in 
the Combination System permits of its exclusive use as a 
supporting card. 

With ace, king, etc. ; king, queen, etc. ; or ace, queen, 
more than three in suit, third hand should cover. From 
ace, king, jack, etc., the king should be put on ; the finesse 
may be taken on the second round if it appears advisable. 

Holding king and one only, the lo should be covered. 
The king cannot make unless the ace is in second hand, for 
it is not reasonable to suppose that a player would pass the 
10 whilst holding queen and jack. 

The queen with one guard cannot make unless second 
hand has passed with ace and king, which will seldom be 
the case ; but since this is the only condition under which 
the card can be saved, third hand should play as if it ex- 
isted, unless it is preferable to leave the opponents in some 
doubt as to the distribution of the suit. In other cases the 
ID should generally be passed. 



The Combination Game. 345 

9. 

With any two honors in sequence, third hand should 
cover a 9; and with king or queen and one^ but not with 
ace and one, unless he is desirous of securing the lead or 
has reason to believe that the leader is anxious to ruff the 
suit on the second round. When third hand holds the 
major or minor tenace the question of covering is difficult 
to determine. The composition of his hand will generally 
decide the point. 

With ace, king and jack the trick should be taken, and 
the jack finesse made on the second round if desired. 

Third hand will sometimes be unable to determine 
whether a 9 led is from strength or from a short suit. This 
uncertainty may be embarrassing when the leader's partner 
holds ace, etc. ; king, etc. ; ace, queen ; or king, jack. In the 
case of a lead from strength he should play his highest 
from each of these combinations and return the lead, but 
on a supporting card he would generally pass or finesse and 
refrain from continuing the suit. 

The difficulty is not, however, so great in practice as 
might be supposed. The 9, when led from strength, is the 
lowest of one of three tenace combinations. The reluc- 
tance of the combination player to open such suits will 
greatly reduce the frequency of the lead. The 9 may be 
recognized as a short suit lead — 

(i) Wlien third hand is able to place both ace and 
king outside of the leader's hand. This applies to all suits. 

(2) When he can similarly place ace and jack, or 
queen and jack, of a plain suit. 

(3) When he can similarly place the 10 in any suit. 



346 The Combination Game. 

In doubtful situations third liand should lean to the 
side of safety. He had better take the chance of retard- 
ing or blocking a suit with his partner than that of estab- 
lishing it with an adversary. 

IN GENERAL, 

third hand should cover a supporting card when he can do 
so and remain with adequate protection in the suit ; other- 
wise he should pass it, even though second hand covers. 
Under the latter condition third hand, when he holds a 
single honor, should almost invariably leave the trick with 
his right hand adversary. 

With ace, jack, etc. ; king, jack, etc. ; or king, 10, etc., 
the finesse of any supporting card is advisable, except that 
with four or more in suit it may be better to cover a 9 from 
the first two combinations, playing the highest in each in- 
stance. When the finesse is against two cards it is risky 
to take it whilst holding more than three of the suit, and 
under such circumstances third hand should almost always 
cover if by doing so he can be assured of remaining with 
second best. 

The foregoing suggestions apply to the opening trick 
or the first stage of the deal. After the development the 
play may be afit'ected by many considerations. 

UNBLOCKING. 

In the Combination Game the matter of unblocking is 
left to the ingenuity and discretion of the player. In the 
case of proficients, individual judgment, based upon close 
card reading, appears to be adequate to the requirements of 
most situations, but players of less ability and limited prac- 



The Combination Game. 347 

tice often experience difficulties, owing to the fact that the 
leads afford no indication of the number held by the leader. 
The occasions for unblocking being more numerous in 
combination play than in the ordinary long-suit game (be- 
cause when a strong suit is led in accordance with the prin- 
ciples of the former system it consists in the majority of in- 
stances of more than four cards), it is suggested that 
whenever third hand holds exactly four cards he may com- 
mence to unblock on the lead of ace, king, or queen. He 
will be guided in his subsequent play by the development ; 
always remembering, however, that if he drops his lowest 
next after his penultimate, his partner will infer that he has 
no more. Misconception can be avoided and the situa- 
tion rendered clear by playing third, then second best 
(thus declaring four, or three with a possible winning card), 
and afterward highest or lowest, as the occasion may de- 
mand. 

Example. — South leads A; West follows with 2; North 
holding 10, 9, 7, 4, plays 7; East 5. South continues with 
Q, proclaiming J, but no more than four in suit. West fol- 
lows with 3. North has no need to unblock, but he should 
put on the 9, which he may do without impairing his 
strength, since South has J and another. 

Had West renounced to the second round North's 
play would have been the same. By playing thus he en- 
ables South to count his hand, for had North held 9, 7, 4 
exactly, he would have played "down and out." 

When second hand renounces to the first trick it is 
not safe to unblock with four cards ; third hand should play 
his lowest and when he next throws a higher card his part- 



34^ The Combination Game. 

ner will read him with four, or three, including a prospec- 
tive trick. 

When third hand holds fewer than four cards the ques- 
tion of unblocking- sometimes presents difficulties. A few 
examples may indicate the principles involved. 

LEAD OF ACE. 

On the lead of ace, then queen, by his partner, North, 
holding king and two small, would not unblock, but the 
king would be put upon a follow of jack, unless West 
trumped, in which case the fall of king might lead South 
to count his partner out of the suit. The foregoing ex- 
ample is typical, and illustrates two principles of general 
application : 

(i) Speculative unblocking is to be avoided where 
third hand cannot count eight or more cards of the suit 
wdth himself and his partner. 

(2) Unblocking should not be commenced on the sec- 
ond round, even under the preceding condition, if second 
hand has renounced to the trick. 

The following exceptions to the latter prohibition may 
be noted: If third hand holds king, 10, and another, and 
second hand discards, the former may play king in order 
to secure the lead. 

When the leader is marked with complete control (as 
in the case of ace led, followed by 10), the king can be 
plaved without danger of his leading a losing card for his 
partner to trump. 

When the ace is followed by a small card the fall may 
direct third hand to unblock on the second or third round. 



The Combiuation Game. 349 

Exaynple. — South leads A; West plays 2; North (from 
Q, 10, 3) the 3; East the 7. South continues with the 6; 
West plays the K. North can read the leader with J, 9, 8, 
and plays his O. 

The eleven rule may be applied to such cases, provided 
the ace is counted in. In the last example 6+ (ace, 7, king, 
10, queen) 5=11; consequently North must have all the 
other cards higher than the 6. 

LEAD OF KING. 

Holding ace and one, the king should be passed by 
third hand. From ace, jack only, the ace should be played 
and the jack returned. With ace, jack and one, the lowest 
should be put on the first trick and the ace on the small 
card led on second round, unless second hand trumps, 
when jack should be played. 

If king be followed by jack, third hand holding ace and 
two small, plays low to the first two tricks ; but if the follow 
be 10 — marking the leader with queen and jack — the ace is 
played to the second round, even though second hand 

trumps.* 

The following example illustrates unblocking to the 
drop. 

Example. — South leads K; West plays 8; North, hold- 
ing J, 5, 3, plays his lowest; East follows with the 9. South 
continues with the A; West drops the 10. Now either West 
has the O solus or it will fall to the current trick ; therefore 
North throws the J and South 's four cards, 7 high, are 
cleared. 



♦Uublockinfi- in this siluntion may bo modified to conform to the prac- 
tice of the leader. Many players follow with low from tierce to king, 
four in suit and with jack only in suits oi five or more. 



350 The Combination Game. 

LEAD OF QUEEN. 

Holding ace or king and one, third hand passes the 
queen ; if, however, second hand discards, the ace may be 
put upon the first trick. The play with ace or king and two 
small will depend upon the leader's continuation. If the 
second round is opened with the jack, third hand must hold 
off, but if the lo is led he must unblock, subject to caution 
(2) supra. 

If third hand holds ace, king and another and the 
leader can be depended upon not to lead queen from a short 
suit unless accompanied by the jack, the king should be put 
on. If the lead is from strength the suit is unblocked, and 
if it is from queen- jack and another, nothing can be lost. 

THIRD hand's continuation. 

When third hand takes the trick on his partner's low 
card opening, there are three courses open to him, and his 
decision will be influenced by the consideration that the 
leader has something more than a strong suit in his hand. 

Under such circumstances the original third hand 
should (i) lead trumps, regardless of his holding, if he has 
protection in each of the unopened suits. Otherwise he 
should (2) return the lead, unless he can (3) substitute a 
suit of his own which is established or consists of at least 
live cards within one round of establishment, as ace, queen, 
jack, X. X., or king, queen, jack, x. x. When such a suit is 
held, accompanied by strength in trumps (that is, five, or 
four inclusive of two honors), the trump continuation will 
generally be advisable, although nothing may be held in 
the third plain suit. 



The Combination Game. 351 

Example . — SoVi'Cci opens with ^ 5. North holding C^ 
9, 6, 3 ; ^ K, 4 ; c& Q, J, 7, 2 ; <> K, J, 6, 5, takes the 
trick and continues with a trump. 

Example. — South opens with ^ 5. North holding C^ 
Q, 8, 7, 4; ^ K, 10, 6; cSd Q, 9, 3; 8> 6, 5, takes the trick 
and returns the suit. 

Example. — South opens with ^ 5. North holding C^ 
Q, 8, 7, 4; ^ K, 4; c& K, O, J, 5, 3; 6, 2, takes the trick 
and opens his Club suit. 

Example. — South opens with ^ 5. North holding C^ 
Q, 8, 7, 4, 2; ^ K, 4; c& A, Q, J, 5, 3; 6, takes the trick 
and leads a trump. 



COMBINATION TACTICS ILLUSTRATED. 

The following deals illustrate various features of com- 
bination play. 

DSAL NO. 42. 

Supporting Card I,ead. 

TKe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

4^Q, 6. K, 4, 2. 9,7. A, J, 10,8,5,3. 

i$ K, 9, 5, 3. 10, 6, 4, 2. A, 8, 7. Q, J. 

4k J, 10, 4. Q, 8, 6. K, 9, 5, 3, 2. A, 7. 

^ Q, 9, 8, 3. J, 10, 2. A, 7, 6. K, 5, 4. 

TRUMP, HEART JACK. LEADER, NORTH. 



352 



The Combination Game. 
THe Play. 



J* 



64^ 



A<S= 



6<5b 



A* 



24^ 



2c& 



94^ 



COMMENT. 



Trick 1. — The North and South pair played the Combination 
Game. 

There is only one logical opening from North's hand. He 
will not commence a deal with a lead from a single-honor four 
card suit, if he can avoid it. Some players entertain an idea that 
a queen once or twice guarded is a good card to lead. As a 
matter of fact there are few worse, unless it is accompanied by 
the jack. In this case if North opens with the Spade Queen he 
affords substantial aid to his opponents; whereas, the supporting 
Club leaves him with the same relative protection in the suit, and 
clears it up, so that his partner brings in a long card of it. 

Had East's Queen been singly guarded he would have gone in 
with it; but, as it is, he plays correctly in holding off. Until within 
the last few years the best defense against a supporting-card lead 
was believed to lie in covering it whenever possible. It was found, 
however, that the proceeding frequently resulted (as it would in 
this instance) in establishing the suit with the original third hand. 
In the Combination Game the fact that Queen and Jack are 
generally accompanied by the next lower card renders it par- 
ticularly hazardous in second-hand to give up the only protective 
card he holds until forced to do so. 

Trick 2. — The "down and out" method of playing short holdings 
is adhered to or not, at a player's option, when following in an adver- 
saries' suit. If the information to be derived from it is likely to be of 
most avail to the partner, it is generally conveyed — not otherwise. It 
is seldom used early in the deal upon an adverse lead, unless the 
player is anxious to ruff, and there appears to be a likelihood of part- 
ner' s early entrance. 



Q* 



K^ 



8* 



K4b 



J^ 



2V 



7* 



7(^ 



The Combination Game. 



353 



Trick 3. — A Combination player would have made the same con- 
tinuation from the interior sequence, not with the object of conveying 
number, but for protection, 

TricJc 4. — It is clear to East that the Spades are established 
and that one adversary, if not both, can trump them. He has the 
second best Club guarded and some defense in Diamonds. These 
considerations induce him to broach the trumps. The play would 
have been justifiable had he held two honors, or Ace and id, but 
as it is, the Diamond Jack is a better continuation. 



7* 



10 4k 



36b 



8cSb 





3V 


Q^ 


6 




A (J* 



4^ 



Trick 6. — North can place the remaining Clubs and knows that 
another lead would force the weaker adverse trump holding. He 
is loath to touch the Diamonds, because if South has a reentry 
for his established cards it must be in that suit. The lead of the 
2 announced East's exact numerical strength in trumps, and en- 
courages North to try a lead through him, which he does with 
less hesitation since he knows that South will use his discretion 
about returning it. 



• QO 
40 



64 



20 



34^ 



44k 



k<5d 



QcSb 



Triclc 7. — South is not sure but that his partner may be in a 
position to pick up both of East's trumps. North is marked with 
four Diamonds and South plays to reenter him in that suit rather 
than force East with a Club and take the chance of allowing him 
to make a losing trump. If North is unable to clean up the 
trumps he can be depended on to come back with a Club, when 
South may force. 
23 



354 



54^ 



The Combination Game. 
30 5^ 

6 (3? 10 4i ^ 



9* 



10 



8^ 



10 V 



J* 



9^ 



11 



7 



4* 



50 



84 



12 



AO 



10 



Tricfc 11. — The Spade lead is utterly useless. Nothing is lost 
by it, however. When the deal was opened by North with the 
low Diamond his side made but three tricks — a difference of five. 
The only cards made by North and South were the Ace and King 
of trumps and the Diamond Ace. 





90 


KO 


13 




5* 



JO 



North and South, eight. 

East and West, five. 



DEAL NO. 43. 

The Singleton Lead. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



V A, J, 8,7,4. 
« 5, 3, 2. 
♦ J, 5, 3, 2. 



K Q, 10, 9, 5. A, 7, 6. J, 4, 3, 2. 

Q, 3. 10, 2. K, 9, 6, 5. 

Q, 10, 9, 6. K, J, 4. A, 8, 7. 

A, 9. K, Q, 7, 6, 4. 10, 8. 



TRUMP, CLUB 7. 



LEADER, NORTH. 



24^ 



The Combination Game. 

The Play. 

84 2cSb 



A^i 



7* 



355 



5 4i 



COMMENT. 

TricTc 1. — The singleton opening produced a gain of two tricks 
in a match for the A. W. L. trophy. The North hand was held 
by Mr. H. H. Ward, who probably has no superior as a player 
in the United States. The Hearts are not sufficiently supported 
to justify the leader in adopting long suit tactics. What tricks 
there may be in the suit are as likely to be harvested if it is with- 
held for the present. The trumps can be of no service unless used 
for ruffing. 

The size of the card and the cover give indication of the 
character of the opening, and South puts in his Ace and returns 
the suit. 



80 



2t 



90 



4* 



QO 



3c& 



6* 



Q^ 



Trick 3. — North takes the best chance of reentering his part- 
ner and, thanks to East's poor play, is successful. The latter 
should have put up his Ace and started trumps to stop the ruff 
of his established suit. West must have plenty of Spades, so that 
the card is less likely to be needed for reentry. East must hope 
that his partner will take the trick. In that case what does he 
expect or desire him to lead? Trumps, one would suppose, and 
if so why does he not get in and broach them himself? After the 
loss is incurred and he is forced into the lead. East takes to the 
trumps, which, had they been led at trick 4, would have shut 
out North's 3 and allowed East's Spade 9 to make. 



356 



10 



The Combination Game. 
^AO Ac?) 



40 



64k 



4* 



4^ 



8* 



Q* 



KcSb 



7^7 



7(2) 



9cSb 



J4k 



50 



J* 



lOcSb 



K4 



8^3? 



5^ 



10 



K* 



2^ 



J^ 



6^ 



11 



104 



10^ 



A^ 



9^ 



12 



QV 



60 



J* 



K^ 



13 



3^ 



70 



Nortli and South, eight. 
East and West, five. 



The Combination Game. 



357 



DKAI, NO. 44. 

Defense against Supporting Card Lead. 
THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



^ Q, 9, 6, 5. K, 8, 7, 4. J, 10, 2. A, 3. 

if A, K, 8, 3. Q, J, 6, 5, 2. 7, 4. 10, 9. 

4^ K, 2. A, Q, 7, 3. 10, 6, 5, 4. J, 9, 8. 

4 K, J, 10. None. 9, 8, 5, 4. A, Q, 7, 6, 3,2. 



TRUMP, HEART 2. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



THe Play. 



54^ 



6* 



A4i 



4* 



3* 



K^ 



J* 



24i 



COMMENT. 



Both pairs played the Combination Game. 

Trick 1. — The only rational opening from South's hand is the 
Spade Jack. 

Trick 2. — As the trump signal is not used in the Combination 
Game, West can read South with the 2 unless North or East is 
playing a two-card suit down, which is improbable, so he con- 
tinues the Spades with the double purpose of leading up to South's 
weakness and of securing* a rufif. 



9* 



Kc§) 



9^ 



7* 



J4k 



A (5b 



10 4^ 



4* 



Trick 3. — East can mark his partner void of Spades and evi- 
dently willing to trump them. 



358 



The Combination Game. 



Trick 4. — The lead of the weak Clubs informs East that his 
partner has a five or six card suit of Diamonds which may be 
played for if the conditions are favorable. 



10^ 



Q* 



7<^ 



8* 



A4 



10 



40 



3c?3 



T)'ick 5. — East has nothing for which to lead trumps. He is 
ignorant of the high card strength of his partner's Diamonds (only 
two of which can make in any case), and no card of the suit to 
lead. He, therefore, plays to give West a chance to make another 
trump, North being marked with the Spade Queen. South cannot 
hope to make either of his trumps. He plays in solely on the 
chance of forcing West (w^ho may have commenced an echo with 
the 9) to put a high trump on the trick. 



2^ 



JO 



50 



2^ 



9&, 



2* 



5cSb 



KO 



8c§3 9 



V* 



30 



10(55 



Kc:p 



10 



4¥ 



5^ 



Trick 9 — East can not get a discard of his losing Club, and uses 
it to throw the lead to South, who can be marked wdth the 10. This 
play for position gains a trick which East could not have made had he 
opened trumps. 

Trick 10. — The fall of the Diamond King to the previous trick, in- 
dicates that North had nothing but trumps remaining and East is in a 
similar condition, so it matters not what South leads. 



60 



The Combination Game. 



11 



6<g, 



3V 



QO 



Q^ 



90 



359 



70 



12 



6¥ 



80 



East and West, ten. 
North and South, three. 



Note.— At another table, where the first trick was the same as 
above, West continued with his Diamonds, and East completed a sig- 
nal on the second round. East and West made no more than the odd. 



DKAI* NO. 45. 
Short Trump Opening. 

THe Hands. 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



^ 10, 5. Q, 9, 8, 2. K, J, 6. A, 7, 4, 3. 

^ A, K, 7, 4. Q, 10, 8, 2. 9, 5. J, 6, 3. 

4^ K, 8, 5, 4. 7, 6, 3, 2. Q, J, 10, 9. A. 

4 9, 7, 3. J. A, Q, 10, 4. K, 8, 6, 5, 2. 



TRUMP, HEART QUEEX. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



THe Play. 



4^ 



90 



J^ 



1 2^ 



2^ 



JO 



9V 



QO 



36o 



The Combination Game. 



COMMENT. 

Both sides played the Combination Game. 

Trlcl: 1. — With such a plain suit holding as South' s the com- 
bination player will lead trumps regardless of weakness in them. 
He has protection in each lay suit; he has two tenaces which may 
be advantageously led to, and a sequence. If North has a normal 
hand the trump extraction must be beneficial. The opening has 
the additional advantage of throwing the lead. South can depend 
upon his partner not to return trumps unless the conditions appear 
favorable. West's cover is correct. The Jack is unlikely to gain 
anything by being held off, and on the first trick it will strengthen 
East if he has any honor. The play is further justified by the 
fact that West has a five-card suit supported by two practically 
sure reentries, making the lead a desideratum. 

North is satisfied to leave the trick with West, which puts 
South in the position of last player. The latter has opened short 
and so can be counted on for exceptional plain suit strength, and 
North deems it advisable to retain command of trumps. If he 
overtook West there would be nothing to do but continue the 
trumps at a disadvantage- 

Trick 2. — South reads West with King and at least three other 
Diamonds remaining, for the fall of the 9 marks North weak. 
Nevertheless, South considers himself still strong enough to con- 
tinue trumps. 



3^ 



8<^ 



6(^ 



10^ 



5V 



40 



Tricks 3 and 4.— If his partner had been extracting trumps, 
West would have played his holding down to facilitate the count. 
As East must have 10 or Queen, North takes another round. He 
is alive to the fact that the command will remain with an adver- 
sary, but South's persistency in the trump extraction makes it im- 
perative on North's part to draw as many as possible. 



44, 



7<> 



Ac2d 



2cSb 



&♦ 



Q^ 



9c2) 



10 



The Combination Game. 



361 



Trick 5. — Since South's strongest suit may be Spades or Clubs 
and the partners are playing a forward game, North leads that 
in which he has greater strength. Had they been on the defensive 
he would have continued with the supporting Spade. 

Trick 6. — East must accept the force. The only hope for his 
side lies in making one or two tricks in Spades, and they will be 
hazarded if he allows South to get in and continue the probably 
established Clubs. 



A4i 



10 4^ 



6* 



24 



3* 



&^ 



J* 



s^ 



60 



Kt§> 



Q* 



3* 



4* 



8* 



10 



10 (§5 



6c§j 



7* 



5* 



11 



J* 



7* 



SO 



30 



12 



A^ 



9* 



KO 



7^3? 



13 



K* 



Q* 



North and South, nine, 
East and West, four. 



At another table, when South started to establish the Clubs 
(which are proof against adverse establishment, and not at all 



362 



The Combination Game. 



likely to sufifer for being left alone awhile) the adversaries readily 
fell into a cross-ruff, and East and West took nine tricks — a 
difference of five. 



Unblocking. 



NORTH. 



DEAL NO. 46. 

THe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4b J, 9, 7, 5. A, 6, 2. K, Q, 10, 8, 3. 4. 

if 8, 2. A, J, 10, 9, 4. K, 7, 5. Q, 6, 3. 

*A, 9, 7. Q, 6, 3. K, J, 10, 2. 8,5,4. 

^Q, 10, 4,2. J, 8. K. A, 9,7,6,5,3. 



TRUMP, CLUB QUEEN. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



44^ 



7* 



K* 



THe Play. 



^^ 



8^ 



3^ 2 AV 



5^ 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — North commences to unblock his four cards. When 
the Ace falls he can read the opening- as from King. Queen, five 
or more, or King, Queen, 10. A combination player will very 
seldom make an original lead from the King, Queen and two small, 
which is in reality a poor suit for attack, but about as good a 
one as a tenace to hold up, but if he does open from such a hold- 
ing it will generally be with a low card. 

TricTcs 2 and 3 — East's lead and follow (together with the fall 
of the King) proclaim the establishment of his suit, and West 
unblocks. North's play to the tricks indicates that he is exhausted. 



Q^ 



The Combination Game. 
^9V 6^ 



K^ 



V¥ 



363 



4^ 



Trick 4. — South's strength justifies him in forcing his partner, 
who, if the Spades are established and he has some protection 
in Diamonds, will continue with a trump, for he will read South's 
lead as a probable indication of strength in that suit. 



5* 



A4, 



2cSb 





9* 


4 eg. 


7 




K4k 



94, 



3* 



Q& 



8* 
3^ 


6 

10 (g> 

8 



3* 



6<§> 



6(^ 



Trick 7 — West's irregular play to the last two tricks makes 
it a little difBcult for South to decide on taking another round 
of trumps. If he finds the two trumps in one hand the Spades 
may be shut out, unless the twelfth trump can be forced. On the 
other hand, if they lie separate, and he fails to pull them, they 
may both make. Of the two partners, one of whom must have 
false-carded, South considers West to- be the more likely culprit, 
and follows the course which offers the prospect of the greatest 
gain in proportion to the possible loss. 

North continues the unblocking process in his discard and 
enables South to read him with two remaining, one of which must 
be the Jack.* 

The remainder of the deal admits of no material variation. 



*Tbe presence of the thirteenth trump with Soutli obviates the pos- 
sibility of the Spades being blocked, but the process is continued for the 
sake of uuiforuiity and the precise information conveyed by it. 



364 



The Combination Game. 



5* 



50 


9 


8* 


40 


70 


11 


10 4 


QO 


AO 


13 



2* 



J<^ 





20 


60 


10 


Q4 


100 


90 


12 




J* 



io<;3? 



80 



JO 



North and South, ten. 
East and "West, three. 



£♦ 



DEAL NO. 47. 

Preserving a Reentry with Partner. 
THe Hands. 

NORTH EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4^ J, 10, 5, 3. 9, 4. K, 2. A, Q, 8, 7, 6. 

V 8, 7. K, 6, 3. A, J, 10, 9, 4. Q, 5, 2. 

4k 9, 6, 5. J, 4, 2. K, 7, 3. A, Q, 10, 8. 

^ A, 7, 5, 4. K, Q, 10, 8, 2. 9, 6, 3. J. 



TRUMP, CLUB 9. 



LEADER, EAST. 



THe Play. 



AO 



3* 



JO 



K4 



A^ 



9* 



30 



K4i 



The Combination Game. 



365 



COMMENT. 

Trick 1. — In this deal East and West played the Combination 
Game, and the latter was, therefore, able to count his partner with 
five in suit, or four including Queen and 10. 

Trick 2. — From the fall of the 9 West surmised that East was 
playing a short suit down and could have no card of consequence 
in Spades. The inference was almost reduced to a certainty by 
the fact that North was a strict long suit player, who might be 
depended upon for a minimum of four of the suit. West was 
satisfied that his partner would not have opened as he did unless 
the Diamonds had been supported. East's known and inferred 
strength combined with West's holding make a trump lead 
imperative. 



8* 



5* 



KtSb 



J* 



2^ 



1^ 



AV 



3^ 



Q^ 



8<;:? 



9¥ 



6(^ 



104k 



6c8) 



3c& 



4(5) 



Trick 5. — Here is the critical situation of the deal. West can 
read South with Jack, 10, etc., remaining. Mathematically, it is 
an even chance that East holds the King, but a consideration of 
the relative conditions greatly increases the likelihood of his 
having it. West realizes that unless East can get in with a trump, 
which is very improbable, he will need the Heart King for reentry, 
since West cannot lead him a Diamond. Therefore West puts in 
his Queen to save the higher card to his partner. 

From this point East and West have the play completely 
under their control. If trick 5 is allowed to go to East, he returns 
the trump and is never in again. The variation accounts for a 
difference of two tricks. 



366 



Q4> 



The Combination Game. 
9c5b 5^ 

2<53 Q^' 



10 4i 



5¥ 



K^ 



4^ 



50 



7* 



11 



10 ♦ 



90 



J* 



Ac?. 



13 



2t 



J^ 



4* 



2 4^ 
40 



6* 



10 



Q^ 



60 
70 



S^ 



12 



8^ 



10^ 



East and West, ten. 
North and South, three. 



DEAL NO. 48. 

Refusal to Lead from the Major Tenace. From actual 



play. 



NORTH. 



THe Hands. 

EAST. SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4 Q, 4, 2. A, J, 10, 7. 9, 8, 6, 5. K, 3. 

if J, 9, 3. K, 7. A, Q, 8, 6, 4. 10, 5, 2. 

4^ K, 5, 4. A, 10, 8,7,6,2. J, 9. Q, 3. 

^ 10, 9, 4, 3. 5. K, 2. A, Q, J, 8,7,6. 



SPADE JACK TURNED. 



LEADER, SOUTH. 



Qc§) 



The Combination Game. 



367 



104k 



J* 



9c25 



COMMENT. 



Trjcfc 1. — South has a hand which gives promise of bringing 
in the Hearts. He has four trumps and a probable reentry. Hence 
the short-suit lead, hazarding a force, is unusually bad. There are 
players, however, who will make any opening rather than broach 
a tenace suit. West correctly covers from a short holding. North 
might have held off the trick, and left his partner last player. The 
King cannot win if the lead is regular; and, if it loses, the suit 
is probably established adversely. North's play, however, makes 
no difference, as the cards lie; for, if he passes. West should 
continue with Club 3, and East will finesse against proclaimed 
weakness. 

Tricks 2 and 3.— East takes out another round of Clubs, and, 
finding the suit established, leads trumps for its protection. Had 
his King of Hearts been taken from him, he could hardly have 
ventured so forward a game. 



K^ 



2^ 



24^ 



54^ 
5 

30 



7* 



3* 



A* 



5^ 



4* 



5c§> 

6 

40 



10 4i 



J* 



10 (Ji 



84k 



60 



7* 



4^ 



6^ 



368 



The Coiubinatiou Game. 



Trick 7. — South begins to discard the suit he was so averse 
to playing from. 



90 



70 



64k 



8^ 



10 



80 



10 



24i 



Q^ 



3<^ 



JO 



11 



5^ 



20 



9^ 



A^ 



12 7^ 



KO 



J^ 



Q4 



K<y 



A^ 



East and West, thirteen. 
North and South, nought. 



If South opens his long suit, the play will be much as 
follows : 



3^ 



J'^ 



2^ 



Tc;? 



5^ 2 



K^ 



AV 



4¥ 



Tricks 1 to 3. — East loses his King of Hearts and is forced to open 
his Clubs at a disadvantage. 



4* 



K* 



36i> 



A4k 



Q* 



2* 



9<55 



J* 



10^ 



The Combinatiou Game. 
9V 5cg) 

^50 K^ 



369 



6c2) 



Q^ 



8V 



Trick 5. — East passes, not knowing whether South or West has 
the Queen of Hearts. 

Tricks 6 and 7. — West trumps high to help his partner, who has de- 
dined a ruff ; and leads trump. He might first have made sure of his 
Ace of Diamonds, since East has very hkely no other card of the suit 
to lead. If he does, East and West win the odd trick only, unless 
West next forces East with a low Diamond, in which case the result 
will be unaffected. 

The Heart opening gains five tricks at least. 



24^ 



3* 



70 



Q* 



80 



6¥ 



4* 



7 


10 4i 

8cg> 


60 


8 


A* 


54i 




10 4 




9 


AO 


10 


v* 


CO 00 




KO 
40 




11 


J* 


12 


10* 


20 
90 




9* 




13 


East and West, eight. 
North and South, five. 



24 



Probabilities. 



BY 



W. H. WHITFELD, M.A. Cantab. 



PROBABILITIES. 



BY W. H. WHITFELD, M. A. CANTAB. 



The play of the game of Whist in the earher stages 
of the hand is entirely dependent on probabilities. Some- 
times the problem presented in probabilities is of so com- 
plicated a character that the mere theorist is at a great 
disadvantage as compared with the player who relies on 
his experience of somewhat similar situations in the past, 
imperfect and one-sided though his impressions may be. 
On the other hand there are many positions in which the 
best play can be determined by theory and the positions 
recur sufficiently often for rules of plav to be formulated. 

The application of the theory of probabilities to 
games of chance is in principle as simple as possible. The 
probability of an event occurring is simply what ought to 
be the proportional frequency of the event in a very large 
number of trials. To commence with the simplest form 
of chance : if a card be taken at random from a pack of 
fifty-two cards, any card is equally as likely to be drawn 
as another. This is merely an amplification of the word 
random. The Ace of Hearts, for instance, should in fair- 
ness be drawn once in fifty-two trials ; in other words, the 
probability of the Ace of Hearts being drawn is one fifty- 
second, or the chances against it being drawn are fifty-one 

(373) 



374 Probabilities. 

to one. In a very large number of trials each card would 
be drawn approximately an equal number of times, not 
exactly the same number of times, because however many 
trials we take, short of infinity, there must still be an ele- 
ment of luck. 

Similarly, if thirteen cards are selected from fifty-two 
by the process of dealing, any combination of thirteen 
cards is as likely as another. The pictures on the cards 
have no influence whatever in determining the hand to 
which they go. This merely amounts to saying that the 
cards are fairly shuffled and dealt. A hand containing 
thirteen Hearts is just as probable as a hand consisting 
of King, Knave, 8, 7, 2 of Hearts ; 10, 3 of Spades ; Knave, 
5, 2, of Diamonds ; Queen, 7, 5 of Clubs. The reason why 
the former hand never comes out is that there are only 
four similar hands, whilst there are countless millions of 
featureless hands like the latter. If we wish to find the 
probability of a player holding certain cards we must find 
the number of hands which he can possibly hold contain- 
ing those cards and compare the number with the total 
number of hands that he can hold. The question is thus 
reduced to one of combinations and permutations. 

In deahng with questions of probabilities it is neces- 
sary to make allowances for the efifect of volition — not to 
treat as cases taken at random those in which some method 
of selection has been exercised. Omission to observe this 
has been a fertile source of error. For instance, a writer 
on Whist probabilities calculated the chance of a player 
who has opened a suit of four with a small card, holding 
the ace. He reasoned that since there are now only three 
cards left in the player's hand, and there are twelve cards 



Probabilities. 375 

of the suit unplayed, the chance of the player holding the 
ace is three-twelfths. Three points should have been ob- 
served by the writer. Firstly, the three cards left in the 
leader's hand are the three best selected out of the four 
held originally. Secondly, the player very likely has two 
or even three suits of four cards in his hand, and the suit 
selected to be led from is the best. Thirdly, since the ace 
might form part of a combination from which a high card 
would be led, the fact that a small card was led renders it 
the more probable that the player has not the ace. Of 
these three reasons for modifying the probability the last 
was the only one mentioned by the writer referred to. 
The only accurate way of working the question would be 
to take the number of cases in which the player holds four 
of the suit and to cut out all those cases in which he would 
select another suit, and also those cases in which he would 
lead a high card of the suit. 

In working out the above question in probabilities 
when doubt exists, whether the player would lead the suit 
or not, as for instance when he has two suits of exactly 
equal value, it is clear that it ought to be considered that 
in half the cases the suit would be led and in half the cases 
not. This point is of very little importance in the above 
case but there are questions in which it becomes of para- 
mount importance, as in the following question : 

A player holds ace, jack, 10 of a suit ; his partner leads 
the suit to him, by his lead showing that he holds nothing 
in the suit. The player finesses the 10 which is taken, 
fourth hand, by the queen. It is required to find the prob- 
ability that the next finesse of the jack will succeed. The 
probability is different according to the class of player who 



37^ Probabilities. 

occupies the position of fourth hand. If he is a player who 
reHgiously plays the lowest card of a sequence he would 
have played the queen equally whether or not he held the 
king. The third hand gains no information from his play 
and it is still roughly an even chance whether or not he has 
the king; although, however, the exact chance can only 
be determined when all the cards played in the hand have 
been taken into consideration. If on the other hand he is 
a player who carries false carding to the extreme of de- 
ceiving nobody, the third player can be certain that he has 
not the king. If the fourth hand is one who plays false 
cards so as to be really false cards, and to give no infor- 
mation whatever, such a one holding both the king and 
queen would play them indifferently, half the times the 
king and half the times the queen. The third player has 
then to consider that the cases in which the fourth player 
holds both the king and queen and the queen only are ap- 
proximately of equal frequency, but that holding the queen 
only he would be certain to play it; holding both king 
and queen he would only play the queen in half the num- 
ber of cases. Thus after playing the queen he is twice as 
likely to have held the queen only originally as to have 
held both the king and queen. It may be noted that 
this probability is the same as the probability before 
the fourth hand has played, when the third hand knows 
from second hand not covering that he does not hold both 
the king and queen. 

As regards the gain which a player can be expected 
to make who always follows the most probable course, it 
must be admitted that, taking any single case, very little is 
to be looked for. In a case in which the play may be re- 



Probabilities. 377 

garded as doubtful, the odds in favor of any particular 
course of play are probably not g-reater than three to two. 
Thus the player will often lose by pursuing the correct 
course. But taking a large number of similar cases there 
will be a balance in his favor. It is, I beheve, generally 
understood even by those unversed in the theory of 
chances, that where the chances are even, taking a large 
number of trials the events will be nearly evenly divided, 
and that where the chances are given by any proportion 
the events will be approximately divided in that propor- 
tion. A warning is, however, necessary against an idea 
arising from this which is prevalent, that there is some 
influence at work which controls the proportion, and, when 
the number of one class of events is becoming too nu- 
merous, contrives that events of the other class shall 
happen. If a coin is tossed up ten times it is much more 
probable that there will be five heads and five tails than 
ten heads ; but the reason is solely this, that there are two 
hundred and fifty-two ways in which five heads and five 
tails can be arranged and there is only one way in which 
ten heads can be arranged. Any series of heads and tails 
is equally likely; nine heads followed by a tail is as prob- 
able as ten heads. Thus if nine heads have been turned 
successively, the tenth toss is equally likely to be heads or 
tails. We have met with a player who carries the fallacy 
referred to into his Whist play; if playing a small card 
second hand with king and another has been successful 
two or three times running, he would on the next similar 
occasion play the king, thinking that it was the turn for 
that method of play to succeed. 

Men have a weakness for the marvelous and many 



37^ Probabilities. 

are the letters sent to newspapers describing some remark- 
able occurrences. Of most of these it is sufilicient to say 
that it is in strict accord with the theory of probabilities 
that many improbable things should happen. 

Of a different class are hands in which each player 
holds an entire suit. Of such hands it may be said that it 
is several millions to one against a single occurrence 
whilst this earth is in existence. Such hands as have been 
recorded may be attributed either to imperfect shuffling or 
to practical joking. There is only one hand on which I 
personally expressed my doubts as to its genuineness. 
The game was Bridge and the hand held by the dealer 
was quart major in Hearts and tierce major in each of the 
other suits, in fact the most imposing array of cards that 
could be held. Against my usual custom I wrote to the 
correspondent as follows : ''The odds against such a hand 
being dealt as the pure result of chance are 635,013,559,599 
to i/' and I added, with perhaps unnecessary rudeness, ''in 
my opinion the odds against a practical joke being suc- 
cessfully played even on four experienced players are far 
less than this." The correspondent in reply assured me 
there was no possibility of mistake as to the genuineness 
of the hands. The peculiarity of this hand, however, was 
this, that in due time the practical joker came forward and 
acknowledged his misdeed. 

It will be seen from the few words I have written that 
the theory of probabilities starting from simple principles 
abounds in pitfalls for the unwary. Many eminent writers 
have made slips, but readers may trust themselves in such 
matters to the able guidance of Mr. Bergholt, at whose 
personal request I have carefully examined and verified the 
tables of probabilities included in this book. 



Tables of 



(VERIFIED BY W. H. WHITFELD.) 



TABLES OF PROBABILITIES. 



"Calculation," says Mathews, "teaches you to plan 
your game, and lead originally to advantage." Knowl- 
edge of the mathematics of the game is also of great value 
in deciding the tactics of later stages of the deal, particu- 
larly in trump play and the various forms of finesse. 

Familiarity with the more important probabilities is 
essential to good judgment and intelligent play. One fre- 
quently sees players "taking chances" without the slight- 
est idea of the odds against them. For the most part, the 
necessity for calculation is obviated by the tried rules of 
the text-books, but situations will occasionally arise in 
which the correct play must depend upon a consideration 
of the mathematical probabilities, and in such circum- 
stances the student who has familiarized himself with the 
subjoining tables will derive an intellectual enjoyment 
from the exercise of his knowledge, together with the ad- 
vantage of avoiding haphazard play. 

It has been supposed throughout that the trump suit 
is either declared, or cut from the still pack, in which case 
the figures are equally applicable to all four suits. In Dr. 
Pole's Philosophy of Whist (p. 141) will be found a table 
giving the number of times in 2,000 deals that every ordi- 

(381) 



382 Tables of Probabilities. 

nary distribution of thirteen cards among four players 
will occur, supposing (as we must suppose) that any one 
result of dealing the 52 cards is as likely as any other. 
But that table is not convenient for practical purposes, for 
it assumes all four hands to be unknown. In actual play, 
on the contrary, your own hand is always before you, and 
the chances to be estimated are those of the distribution 
of the remaining 39 cards among the other three hands. 
We need not enter into any discussion of the mode in 
which the tables have been calculated. Whist players will 
probably prefer, as a rule, to take the results upon trust. 



Tables of Probabilities. 



383 



M 



vO vO 00 OWI 00 OOvj 0\M 4^ Cn ON ONCn 





JO 



M C>^ KJ 4:^. ONCn KJ0i^CnC»i-pk.Cn0^^4i. 

"m b 'm b b b KJ "m M "*M To 42>. ^ c>j KJ oj 




M 

^ "O 00^ CO ON^ ^J C/l JjN CT^Cn Cn ^ 

"0 b ^ "0 "0 "m b "nj »h "m m "kj u> "io 6j 





I-* 1-1 N3 M 

H M Oj Cn Oj CCC/1 a^ 

M ^ Jik ^i OC M 00«-J ^J CC On f- 

K> Ki C*i OJ ONvO ON OCCn 4^ vO ^4 


v£> CO OC^l cn aN;<l ON OnCh 4*. Ca 4^ 

bbi-<bbb i-ifoi-iMiotooj 




M 1-1 K) K) 
M M ^ 0\ M CO^ -J 

M ^ VI i-i G\\0 M 00 t/1 

VO ON OOCn -P». to 10 vO i-i M3 vO 

vOCnOJOJNJCOMViMO^JONCO 


VO JiO-^ vJ 0\0\ 0^4^ 00 Cn 01 ;*». 

b b b ">- b b w "m oj "m 't-i K) 


1 
d I 


M K)4^VO M p-h0jO1 

OJ -Pk Cn> 0\\D -t^ Cn >-i 

•^VIMVD K> OOJ 004^ ON 

t-i »sj vO M tn ^1 COvO Cn 00 


00<I ON ON-ti Cn Ca ^ 4^ Oj 
b "m "m jh i» ca jo jo C>J Oj 
b b b "m b b "m (0 ^ Tj 


*3i 

M 
< 


M K> K) 00 
MMKJC^JKJMCnM 

kJOi4^4^Cnvi K)VO M 

mOmvOvOKJmwm 

ONOOCn^Co O-vj KJCn O 


-4 OnCH cn 4^ Ch) 4:^ OJ 

JD J-" JJ J^ ^ §^ }^ JJ 

oooMbi-iMio 


1 

1 


C>i ^ "vj OOOJ 

OCVO KJ \0 -J (O vO 

Oj -<I HH 4^ -^ 4^ OOOj 

C>jOOnk)vjOmvO 


a\Cn 00 ^ ^ K) Oj 
b "m Oj m "m "k) kj 

"0 "b b "m "lo "m 


<: 


M M M Cn 

OJ "^I M ^ OJ 

M Cn KJ M cn Oj 
Cn ""J to Cn M 4^ Oj 
CO«vj M ^ i-i cn K3 


Cn 4^ 00 OJ to 
"0 j-i 3^ J-" }* 

>-• M 


Hi 


to KJ 4^ 
vO Oj Cn M 

ON ON kJ t-i KJ 

^4 ^ 4i. 00 M 
1- ON^I Cn 1-1 


4i. KJ 00 JO 

b b b M 


1 


K) KJ ^ 
K> M Vj 00 

ON M M 
vO KJ 00 

00 M KJ 


Ck) M KJ 

M l-< 

b "•- b 




K) c^ 

vO 4i. o\ 
C^J Cn 
00^ VI 
CO -D KJ 


r,i,o 
2,0,0 


< 




c^> as 
M 00 

Cn 4^ 
VI KJ 

KO M 



a o 
- • c 

3 3 



(D ft) 

O S 

72 ff 



ii. cr 






O) o 

n »^ 

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n 2 
<x 3 



8? 



I— I 



384 Tables of Probabilities. 

For general purposes the number of times in i,000 
deals is sufficiently accurate ; in which case, if the last 
figure but one is 5 or greater^ the last figure but two 
should be increased by i. Thus, if you hold five of a suit, 
the remainder will lie 5, 3, o thirty-six times out of a thou- 
sand. The distributions are not definitely located ; but the 
frequency of any definite location can be immediately ob- 
tained by dividing by the number of possible permutations. 
If you are South and hold four of a suit, the number of 
times in a thousand that West will hold four, North three, 
East two, will be 452-^6=75 nearly. Hence the chances are 
37 to 3 against. That West holds five. North two, East 
two, is iii-i-3,000 nearly, =.037, or 963 to 37 against. That 
the remaining nine cards lie evenly is .11, or 89 to 1 1 
against, no extra divisor being here required. 

The chance that a given suit will go round a specified 
number of times is also immediately obtainable. If I 
have five of a suit, what are the odds it will go round 
twice? It can only do so if the cards lie 3, 3, 2, or 4, 2, 2. 
Add 311 to 212, and we see that the suit goes round twice 
523 times in 1,000. The odds are therefore about 1 1 to 10 
in favor. 

The table given by Dr. Pole on page 147 of his 
Philosophy of Whist (Sixth Edition) will be found to require 
considerable correction. The errors here have evidently 
arisen through a repetition of arithmetical operations upon 
numbers which were originally only approximate, an in- 
significant fraction being thus multiplied until there results 
a wide deviation from the truth. 



Tables of Probabilities. 
Table 2. 



385 



SUITS GOING ROUND. 



NUMBER OF CARDS HELD BY A 
GIVEN PLAYER:— 


THREE. 


FOUR. 


FIVE. 


SIX. 


SEVEN. 


EIGHT. 


The suit will not go round 
once 


251 
1906 
5084 
2760 


442 
2829^ 
5624^ 
1 104 


761 
4007 
5232 


1280 
5326 

3394 


2IOI 
6444 
1455 


3360 
6640 


It will go round once only... 
It will go round twice only. 
It will go round three times. 


lOOOO 








In loooo deals 


lOOOI 


1 0000 


lOOOO 


lOOOO 


1 0000 







It may also be asked : If I hold four of a suit, what is 
the chance that another specified player (say, my partner,) 
also holds four exactly? In the distributions 4, 3, 2 and 
5, 4, o he will do so one-third of the times. In the distribu- 
tion 4, 4, I he will do so two-thirds of the times. Total 
number of times, 22,194 nearly. All such cases may like- 
wise be figured out and tabulated. In these derived num- 
bers, the last digit cannot be relied upon as correct; we 
therefore strike it ofif, and give only the number of times in 
10,000, as has already been done in Table 2. 



Table 3. 

At the head of each column is specified the number 
of cards in the suit held by you. Underneath, the number 
of times in 10,000 that another (specified) player will hold 
exactly the number of cards set out in the first column. 

25 



386 



Tables of Probabilities. 



HELD BY 


held by you. 


ANOTHER 

(specified) 

PLAYER. 


a; 
c 
O 


6 


u 

Si 
H 






> 


>< 

'in 


> 


s 


6 
Z 




c 

5 


None 

One 

Two 

Three .... 

Four 

Five 

Six 

Seven 


25 
257 

1059 
2285 

2856 

2165 

lOIO 

289 

49 
5 


46 

412 

1454 

2666 

2806 

1768 

673 

153 

20 

I 


84 

639 
I917 

2959 

2589 

1332 

404 

70 

7 


147 

958 

2421 

3107 

2219 

908 

211 

26 

2 


254 
1390 
2919 

3058 

1737 

544 

91 

7 


428 
1946 

3336 
2780 
1209 

272 

29 

I 


706 
2621 

3574 

2279 

712 

103 

5 


1 143 
3376 
3522 

I6I4 

323 

22 


1818 

4109 

3082 

904 

87 


2845 
4623 
2219 

313 


4386 
4561 
1053 


Eight 

Nine. 































On comparing the above table with that on page 134 
of the Philosophy of Whist, it is seen that the second num- 
ber in Dr. Pole's first column should be 28 instead of 32. 
The table exhibits, but in a more compact and convenient 
form, the same results as were calculated by Mr. E. C. 
Howell, in Whist of April and May, 1894. 

By addition, we ascertain the chance that partner has 
any given minimum holding; e. g., if I hold two trumps, the 
number of times partner will hold four or more is the sum 
of the six lowest numbers in column "Two" of the third 
table. This is found to be 5,421, and the odds are therefore 
about 13 to II in favor. 

It may seem, at first sight, that the tables have been 
extended unnecessarily beyond the hmits of practical use- 
fulness, because it very rarely happens that more than six 
or seven cards are held in any one suit. But the tables are 
in fact applicable from other points of view than have 
been as yet mentioned. Consider the column headed 
"Nine" in Table i. This column not only gives the prob- 
able distributions of four cards of a suit in which you hold 



Tables of Probabilities. 387 

nine, but also those of any four (specified) cards which are 
not in your own hand. Similarly, Table 3 indicates the 
number of times that another (specified) player will hold 
one exactly, two exactly, etc., of these four cards. 

Suppose my longest plain suit consists of five cards to 
the 10^ and that I wish to estimate what face cards in the 
suit I can reasonably expect my partner to hold. Table 3 
shows (by addition of 3,082 and 904 and 87) that he will 
hold at least two of these 4,073 times in 10,000; at least 
one, 8,182 times in 10,000. 

Or, suppose I hold queen and three small trumps. 
Column 'Ten" of Table i informs us that ace, king, jack 
will lie singly 24 times in 100; that one player wiU hold 
exactly two of them 6y times in 100; and that one player 
will hold ah three 9 times in 100. Column 'Ten" of Table 
3 shows that in 100 deals my partner will hold: 

No honor, 28 times. 

One honor exactly, 46 times. 

Two honors exactly, 22 times. 

All three honors, 3 times. 

He will hold one or more ^2 times in 100 ; the odds 
being, therefore (as Hoyle observed long ago), about 5 to 
2 in favor. 

We may also ask ourselves what is the frequency of 
an adverse minimum holding of any given number of 
cards. When I hold four of a suit, how often shall I find 
an opponent also holding four or more ? In the distribu- 
tions 4, 3, 2, or 5, 3, T, or 5, 2, 2, an opponent will do so 
two-thirds of the times. In the distribution 4, 4, i, all the 
times. Consider similarly the other distributions, and add 
the results. Hence the following: 



388 



Tables of Probabilities. 
Table 4. 



IK I HOLD IN 
A SUIT 


PARTNER WILL HOLD 


AN OPPONENT WILL 
HOLD 


FOUR OR 
MORE 


FIVE OR 
MORE 


FOUR OR 
MORE 


FIVE OR 
MORE 


One 


6374 
5422 
4402 
3366 
2379 
I5II 


3518 
2616 
1812 
I 146 
642 
2,02 


9396 
8755 

7735 
6331 
4676 
3021 


6540 
5077 
3598 
2293 
1284 
604 


Two 


Three 


Four 


Five 

Six 





Times in 10,000 deals. 

These figures are of use and of significance in esti- 
mating the advantage Hkely to be gained, and the risks 
hkely to be incurred, in opening the hand from a short 
suit. It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to point out that 
when it is said that a strengthening card is twice as likely 
to strengthen an opponent as your partner, it is not meant 
that it is twice as likely an opponent will hold four or more 
as that partner will hold four or more. Observe, how- 
ever, that in the case of five or more the figures do ap- 
proximate to that ratio, less so if the lead be a singleton 
than if from two or more. 



A PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

As an example of the use of the foregoing tables, we 
will analyze the following question : 

South holds ace and three small cards of a suit which 
East opens originally with a small card (the 10 or lower). 
South plays low ; West follows suit. What is the risk that 
South's ace will be trumped by West next round? 



Tables of Probabilities. 389 

We assume that East has led from four or more 
cards, and we neglect the influence of his volition in 
selecting the suit. (See the remarks of Mr. Whitfeld, p. 

From Table i, Column ''Four," we have to pick out 
the cases in which a specific player (in this case East) 
holds four or more cards. In the distribution 4, 3, 2 he 
will do so one-third of the times (15,053); in the distribu- 
tion 4, 4, I two-thirds of the times (6,272) ; and so on. 
The total distributions possible, therefore, are : 

EAST. 

4 
4 
4 
5 
5 
5 
6 
6 
7 
7 
8 

where (as must of course be the case) the additions 
(preceded by the sign ~) coincide w^ith the figures of Table 
3, Column 'T^'our." 

If all that we knew about East's holding was that he 
held four or more of the suit, the above numbers would 
give us the solution of the question asked. But we do, in 
fact, know more, on the assumption that East has led reg- 
ularly. We know that he does not hold both king and 
queen; nor queen, jack and 10 without the king. We 
have, therefore, to exclude, from the cases above enu- 
merated, the cases in which either of these two combina- 
tions of high cards would fall to East. One instance will 
show the method. 



WEST AND NORTH. 


NUMBER OK TIMES. 


3 and 2 


15.053) 


4 and I 

5 and 


6,272 ^ = 22,193 

868 ) 


2 and 2 

3 and I 

4 and 


3,6951 

4.5^6 \= 9,079 
868 J 


2 and I 


1,642 \_ 


3 and 

1 and I 

2 and 
I and 


463/- ^^'""^ 
16 



390 Tables of Probabilities. 

When East holds four cards out of the nine unknown, 
the chance that he has the king is ^. If he holds king, 
he has three unknown cards left out of eight. Therefore, 
the chance that he has queen also is f Xf =|-. By a similar 
process, we see that the chance that Xoith or West holds 
the king, and that East has queen, jack and lo is -fXl-X 
fX|=TT6-- And i-f Tf6=W- I^roin among the 15,053, 
6,272, and 868 cases, therefore, we must only retain 50 out 
of every 63. Similarly, we have to retain -^^, |^, y\, and 
^ of the cases where East would be dealt five^ six, seven, 
and eight cards respectively. The resultant figures, then, 
are as follows (omitting the last digit in each case): 1,195, 
498, 69, 238, 290, 56, 76, 21, 4, 3 and o. Total, 2,450. From 
these we must also exclude, as contrary to hypothesis, 
the cases where West would be void on first round (one- 
half of 69+56+21+3=75). There remain 2,375, 

Now, in how many of these cases will West only hold 
one of the suit? One-half of 498+290+76=432, together 
with four cases in which Xorth also will hold a singleton. 
In all, 436. And xft"=T'T nearly. Therefore the odds are 
9 to 2 against West's trumping the ace on second round. 

In practice, there would also be the contingency that 
West might get a discard before the second round was 
led. 



Critical E^nding's. 



CRITICAL ENDINGS. 



It is frequently asserted that Double Dummy is so 
different from ordinary Whist as to be an almost useless 
study for those who aim at becoming good Whist players. 
This, we are convinced, is a great mistake. It is true that 
problems of, say, from ten to thirteen cards in each hand, 
are too complex to be of service in a game which demands 
rapidity both in conception and in execution. But easy 
positions, composed of but few cards, on the other hand, 
will be found invaluable in developing a quick grasp of the 
situation in Whist, as well as the capacity to take advan- 
tage of it to the fullest extent. Double Dummy is, in fact, 
the grammar of Whist. General rules are founded only 
upon full analysis of what would be the best play in all the 
various combinations in which the cards unknown may be 
disposed; there is no rule but must be broken under spe- 
cial circumstances, and a consideration of the most trick- 
winning play in particular cases is a necessary supplement 
to the calculation of how the cards in general will most 
probably he. 

A striking example may be cited, showing of what 
value the study of Double Dummy positions may prove to 
be. 

In *'Whist" for June, 1896, there appeared the fol- 
lowing problem by Mr. W. H. Whitfeld : 

( 393 ) 



394 



Critical Endings. 



NORTH. 



EAST. 



SOUTH. 



WEST. 



4^ J, 10, 6, 3. None. 


None. 


None. 


y None. Q, 10, 5, 4. 


A, J, 9, 7. 


K. 


Jh 7, 4. Q, 10. 


A, 8. 


K, J, 8, 2. 


4 8,2. 10,7. 


K, 6. 


Q, J, 9. 



Spades trumps. South to lead, and North and South 
to win all the eight tricks. 

In August, 1900, the following cards were dealt at 
actual play: 

NORTH. EAST. SOUTH. WEST. 

4 10, 3, 2. K, 9, 8. A, Q, 4. J, 7, 6, 5. 

V A, K, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. J, 8. 10, 7. Q, 9. 

4^ None. K, 9, 7, 5, 4. A, 10, 8, 6, 3. Q, J, 2. 



♦ 8, 5, 4. 



J, 10, 3. 



A, Q, 7. 



K, 9, 6, 2. 



Heart 7 turned. Leader, West. 

The players followed the "Standard System" of play, 
as adopted at the Ninth Congress. The first five tricks 
went as follows : 



50 



2^ 



9<y 



1 


QO 


AV 


3 



100 



8^ 



7^ 



5^ 



J* 



4c?) 



Q^ 



6* 



KV 



10^;? 



J^ 



Critical Endings. 



395 



10 ♦ 



5* 



S^ 



Q* 



At this point, South (Mr. Charles M. Clay, the well- 
known problem composer), asked his fellow-players to lay 
their cards face downward on the table, and said he would 
read all the hands ; and, if allowed to suggest to his partner 
what to play, he would win all the remaining tricks, 
although there was a guarded trick in each suit in each 
adversary's hand. He correctly read the cards, and won 
every trick. The hand was not made up. The cards had 
been shuffled and dealt in the ordinary way, in the pres- 
ence of three persons. (See Whist for November, 1900, 
p. 86.) 

A short examination will convince the reader that the 
situation read and solved on the spot by Mr. Clay is pre- 
cisely identical in principle with that invented by Mr. Whit- 
feld. 

Solution of Mr. Clay's end position. 



2c5) 



2^ 



3* 



5cft 



64^ 



6V 



•7 



3 0" 



60 



44 



JO 



Qc& 



24^ 



7* 



AO 



A4> 



396 



90 



Critical Endings. 



10 



7 4^' 



11 



9 4^' 



8* 



3* 



10t§5 



80 



J* 



12 



K^i 



KO 



13 



Kc?3 



A4i 



4* 



faj East cannot here discard a Club, or South will 
make a long Club, for the latter has still two reentries, and 
North can trump again. If East discards Spade 9, South 
discards Spade 4, and the play will proceed similarly, by 
interchange of Diamonds and Spades. 

(b) If East discards Club, South discards Spade 4, 
and makes Club 10. 

(c) If West discards Diamond King, North's 8 is 
good. 

The above is the only method whereby all the last 
eight tricks can be won against the best defense. The 
key of the position is to observe that South must not part 
with any winning card until after a discard has been forced 
from East. If he leads Club Ace, he compels North to 
discard fatally either Spade or Diamond, East and West 
regulating their subsequent play accordingly. 

If he gives up either of his two other aces, he loses 
a reentry with which he cannot dispense. 

It is no vaHd objection to a Double Dummy position 
that, in ordinary play, enough would not be known about 
the unplayed cards to make possible the securing of the 



Critical Endings. 



397 



required number of tricks. In playing to the score (whicli 
has been said to afford the fine player the greatest oppor- 
tunities for the exercise of his skill), positions must often 
be assumed as real, even when not known to be so. And it 
has further to be noted that the principles illustrated by 
an arrangement of exposed cards may be of frequent oc- 
currence in a simpler form than that chosen in this w^ork 
for the purpose of strengthening the perceptive faculty. 
Take the following simple case : 



9 9 



o o 

0^0 



o o 



4. 4- 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 



W 



oOo 
o o 



N 





0% 
















E 


4- 




4. 4. 

IT* 'V 


4- 

4- 





Clubs trumps. North can place the trumps as to num- 
ber, and knows East to have a losing Heart. 

South leads Heart King; North should trump with 
Club 6, and lead Diamond. If South has Ace and 7 of 
trumps, or Queen and 3, the play wins a trick. If not, 
it makes no difference. 

Position No. 55 exhibits the same principle in a more 
complex form. Here the trumps have never been opened 



39^ Critical Endings. 

and could not be placed by North, save by an exercise of 
second-sight. But it is safe to assert that the student who 
has mastered Position 55 would not fail to play correctly 
in the more obvious three-card ending given above. From 
this point of view many of the other positions must be re- 
garded; the increased ease resultant on the exposure of 
the cards may be considered as counterbalanced by the 
sometimes increased complexity of their arrangement. 

All the positions are to be solved in the head, without 
setting out the cards. This is of paramount importance, if 
the student is to derive from them their full benefit. In the 
actual game, every combination must be worked out men- 
tally ; and to go shifting about a lot of cards on a table is 
to deliberately throw away the opportunities provided for 
intellectual development. 

The tactics of Whist may be classified as follows : 

1. Tactics, the object of which is to establish and 
bring in a long suit. Among these we may include (a) the 
preservation of cards of reentry ; (b) refusing to part with 
command of adverse suit ; (c) getting rid of high cards 
which block partner's suit ; (d) refusing to weaken your 
own trumps by trumping or overtrumping ; (e) weakening 
the trump strength of the opponents by forcing with win- 
ning cards ; (f) declining to draw the losing trump ; (g) 
leading the losing trump, when a player has sure reentry 
and only one card to lead of partner's established suit, and 
when to force the best trump is to give up the power of 
putting partner in. 

2. 'The ruffing game." This term is often used dis- 
paragingly; but, for one side or the other, to make trump 



Critical Endings. 399 

separately, is frequently the best, if not the only, play. It 
has been put forward that the "principal" use of trumps is 
to defend a long suit ; but this cannot be their use to a 
side which has no suit worth defending. The trumps to be 
made separately may be either winning or losing ones ; 
you may often ruff advantageously with the master trump, 
for partner's benefit, or you may ruff high (even on part- 
ner's winning card) to force a high trump from last player, 
or to prevent his making a smaller one. By leading a 
plain suit card through the best trump (no matter how 
many guards it may have), you may make certain of part- 
ner's winning with the second best, although single. To 
save your own losing trump, you may decline to trump 
(or to overtrump), when you may yourself be overtrumped. 
On the other hand, you may purposely sacrifice your own 
trump to help partner. A winning twelfth, or even a losing 
one, may be most efficacious in playing through second 
hand (strong in trumps) if your partner (third hand) is also 
void of the suit you lead; since he overtrumps or gets a 
discard. 

3. "Placing the lead." This principle is of very wide 
application, and embraces many coups which have been 
otherwise classed. It includes : 

(a) Discarding winning cards with which the lead 
may be injuriously given to you. 

(h) Discarding a second or third best card which 
may obstruct the run of the suit. 



400 



Critical Endings. 






ft 










4-,4- 

4. 4. 

4> 
4.^4. 




^ 








4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 








4 ♦ 



♦ ♦ 



♦ ♦ 



N 



W 



S 



E 



7 ^ 

^ 9 


4* 



4.*4. 

4.*4. 



4. 4. 

4.*4. 

4. 4. 











s? ^ 
^ ^ 
^ ^ 













Trumps all out. South to lead. North and South 
want three tricks. 

Here it is obvious that East and West will win two 
tricks unless North discards the third best Club on South^s 
lead of Heart 4. Position No. 30 would not be so obvious 
unless the above had been considered beforehand. 

It may be necessary to get rid of more than one high 
or intermediate card. 

(c) Throwing a high card under another high card 
led. In trumps, this may take the form of undertrumping 
an adversary or your partner. 

(d) Winning partner's trick to secure for yourself 
the lead when necessary. In trumps this may take the 
form of overtrumping partner, or of trumping partner's 
winning card ; and may have for object to avoid the lead at 
a later trick. 

(e) Refusing to win a trick, so as to leave the lead 



Critical Endings. 401 

elsewhere. This inckides the ''Bath Coup." You may re- 
fuse to trump or overtrump, with the same purpose. 

(f) Trumping unnecessarily high, keeping a smaller 
trump so as not to obstruct the run of the trumps, or so 
as to put the lead elsewhere. This includes lead of losing 
trump for tenace (as distinguished from long suit, vide 
i> (g)» supra) purposes. A good example will be found in 
the Mathews deal. (See p. 15.) 

(g) Leading a thirteener for opponent to trump. It 
may be often advantageous to let each opponent make a 
trump separately. 

(h) Lead of high or intermediate card to put the 
lead where you want it ; e. g. : 

Twelve cards remain in, and you want two tricks. 
You hold ace, queen and 10 of trumps. If king was turned 
on your left, or jack on your 7'ight, you make certain of 
the two tricks by leading queen. 

Again : Twelve cards remain in, and you want one 
trick. You hold king, jack, and a small trump. If ace 
was turned on your left, you make certain of the one trick 
by lead of the king. 

4. Compelling discards, on the principle of the 
''Vienna Coup," by the lead of a thirteenth, winning 
twelfth, or losing twelfth, either in trumps or plain suits. 
In many positions, both adversaries may be forced to un- 
guard the same suit. Numerous typical examples will be 
found among the following positions (see Nos. 61 to 75), 
often in combination with other tactics previously enu- 
merated. 

26 



402 Critical Endings. 

Finally, the student is urged never to look at the solu- 
tion of a position, until he has worked it through in his 
own mind, and arrived at his own conclusion. The solu- 
tions are intentionally placed in a separate part of the 
book. 

In each of the positions treated of here South is 
understood to have the lead and Xorth and South are to 
win, as against any possible defense, the number of tricks 
specified in each case. Full advantage is to be taken, of 
course, of the distribution of the cards being known. 



Critical Eudings. 



403 



No. 1. 



.in 
■4-1 


(i> 




y 


^ 




u 


(Tl 




Ul 


-t-J 




-0 


a; 
,0 










oi 







x: 


->-' 




-t-i 


m 

















iz; 


biO 




-Td 


03 




c 


C 




rt 


rt 






> 




T! 


XJ 




rt 


rt 




T 








^ 




<1) 


3 




X 


ti. 




+-' 






!r) 






nJ 


0; 




^ 


C/2 

el 




^ 


OJ 




+-" 






3 


(D 







-a 




C/} 


a; 










t/i 


j2 







(/I 




■4-^ 







(/) 


a 







>i 




u, 


c 




<v 


cd 




> 


-t-> 




'^ 


C 






03 




<v 


03 




> 


73 


t/ 


bt) 




-a 

u 


r, 


+-> 


03 





M-l 


U 



u 


x: 


f— ^ 


<]) 


-*-' 


u 


rO 


M-c 


<1) 


B 





4-' 







M-H 


-n 


-(-> 





c; 


ei 


J2 


(43 


^ 


f ) 


u 


Ul 


rt 


OJ 


'D 


<v 


0^ 






cr 


'V 


1 




r3 


w* 


c 




C 


H 



^ 


^ 


;5 





4-' 
M-l 




rt 






4% 




1 




9 9 
99 
99 
9 9 


9 9 
9 9 

9 9 


9 9 
9 9 



9 






N 




9 9 

9 
9 9 

9 
9 9 






w 



E 



S 









^ ^ 










♦ ^ 








9^9 
99 








9 9 
9^9 




♦ ♦ 

♦ 
^ ♦ 







w 





1 




9 9 
9 

9 9 

9 9 



9 
9 
9 



Clubs trumps. 



Three tricks. 



No. 2. 



^ ♦ 

♦^* 

♦ -► 


♦ ♦ 

-f 
^ ^ 


9 9 

9 
9 9 

9 
9 9 




0^0 





Clubs trumps. 



Three tricks. 



404 



Critical Endings. 



No. 3. 




4'^4-j |4' 4' i 



Spades trumps. 



Four tricks, 



No. 4. 



o 

o o 






* + * 
*A* 


1 ^■■•■' 


*** 

V + 

4, ' A' 



tot 

O <> 



4* 4* 



O <^' 



Hearts trumps. 



Tliroe tricks. 



Critical Endings. 
No. 5. 



405 



9^9 

9 9 

9^9 


9 9 

9^9 
9 ^> 


4. 4, 

4. 4. 






%1 

.♦.It 


OOOO 


oooo 


4- 
4- 













N 



W 



9 
9 

9 




Spades triinips. 



Three tricks. 



No. O. 





%* 

♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 




9^9 
99 

9^9 



9 


9 




9 


9 


9 


9 


9 



4- 

4- 



Clubs trumps. 



Three tricks. 



4o6 



Critical Endings. 



No. 7. 




fei 


^ 


)(S 


1 


.mM 


^ 



Clubs trumps. 



Three tricks. 



No. 8. 





7 ^ 

^ 
^ ^ 

9 ^ 


^ ^ 
7 9 
<;^ ^ 







Clubs trumps. 



Four tricks. 



Critical Endings. 



407 



No. 9. 













s 






oooo 


OOOO 










w 












9 ^ 















♦ 
♦ 
♦ 




•^ 




1 



N 



S 



E 



•I- 


1 
























o o 

0% 



4 ♦ 
♦ 

4 4 



9 



9 




Diamonds trumps. 



Four tricks. 



No. 10. 




Spades trumps. 



Five tricks. 



4o8 



Critical Endings. 



No. 11. 



9 9 




4. ^ 
4. 4. 




4- 

4* 
4- 




































w 



s 



1 




9 ^ 
^ ^ 



E 



O 



O 







m 


9 ^ 

9 ^' 






4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. ^ 




oooo 


OOOO 




4. 4. 

4» 
4. 4. 







Clubs trumps 



Three tricks. 



No. 12. 



m 








00 
0^0 





























w 



N 



E 










^ 








^M\\ 




4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 




oooo 



oooo 








4- 4- 
4. 4. 





Hearts trumps. 



Five tricks. 



Critical Endings. 

No. 13. 



409 







'^ ^? 


9 


^ 


9^ 






9 ^ 


9 


^ 







Diamonds trumps. 



Four tricks. 








•^ 













Hearts trumps. 



Three tricks. 



4IO 



Critical Endings. 



No. 15. 




4.^4. 




1 


A A 

4- 4- 

A A 





w 



N 



Spades trumps. 



s 



E 




o o 
00 

o o 



4» 

4* 4* 

A ! 

4.^4. 



4- 4- 
4* 4* 



*J 


Bi 


p 


K 


Jj^ 


V''iS^ 


T 


""♦1 


♦ 
♦ 


♦: 


♦ 


♦ 








oS 







'>t 



o o 
o o 



Three tricks. 



No. 16. 






4-A-^ 
4.'^4- 

4-^4- 


1 J. J. 


i 




oooo 



oooo 



Diamonds trumps. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 



411 



No. 17. 




Hearts trumps. 



P'our tricks. 



No. 18. 




1 J tk'. . 



<5? 


V V 




<;? 


"; ""' 


'.' 





Diamonds trumps. 



Four tricks. 



412 



Critical Eiidiugs. 



No. lO. 




4. ^ 

4. 4. 



4* 4- 

*^ 

4. 4. 







9 



W 










N 



Clubs trumps. 



s 




E 



4* 


.•^ 




4* 


4* 


4* 




4*. 


4* 


4- 


















<> 













x^ c;. ^^ 




4-a4- 
4.^4* 

4-*4- 


4* 
4- 4- 

4* 4* 




C^ 



M 


i 


w 


^ 


lid^ 


^ 


'w' 


9 


> 


9? 


^^ 


^ 




<^ 


^ 


9 


<;? 


^? 


9 



Three tricks. 



No. 20. 




4 4 

4 4 

4 4 




0*0 













N 




1 




<> 






E 


4 4 
4x4 
4*4 
4 4 













4 4 

4 
4 4 


S 








4 

4 

4 ! 


4 
4 





s> 





Trumps all out. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 
No. 21. 



413 




W 

♦ ^ 

^ 

♦ ♦ 







OoO 






</ 








?f 



Trumps all out. 



w 




N 



S 



-► ♦ 
f .♦ 
*►*•► 
^ ^ 






^ 



/, 



E 



^ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 


























%" 

♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 




0^0 



















Three tricks. 



No. 22. 




9 


4. .^ 




-^0 





7 9 



^;^ 
'? 
'? 



t^k 


<^iM 


m 


W 




4. , .l. 



Trumps all out. 



Three tricks. 



414 



Critical Endings. 



No. 23. 



hi 










Trumps all out. 



Three tricks. 



No. 24. 



.♦1^ 




A"4. 




' A - 



N 



0^ 





1 





0\ 


1 





























w 



s 




n 






♦ ♦ 














o o 



Trumps all out. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 
No. 25. 



^^\ 
\m^ 




4. 4- 

4.^4. 
4. 4. 




4. 4. 




4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 




4- ♦l 

4. 
4. 4. 




^ 

n^v 








4 4 




415 



Trumps all out. 



Three tricks. 



4^ 



W 



i 


m 


1 


M 




s? 




^ 

^ 


9 

^ 
^ 


V 


~^ 


^ 


^ 




No. 26. 



4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 



w 



A 



N 



S 



!4« , •!•' 
'a*^a 
'A 4.1 



E 



•5* 

4. 4. 



4 4 


4 4 
4 4 


S 




^ 9? 









A A 

'A 

4.> 
4.^4. 


4 ' 4 










4*4 


•^A*^ 




•^ •7«l 


V v 




A A 








A A 

4. 4. 







Trumps all out. 



Four tricks. 



4t6 



Critical Endings. 



No. 27. 




> o o o o c 




0^0 

o o 



N 



S 



<c> 

O 



O 



E 







4- 


4- ^ 

4- 4- 










*** 

4* 4* 

4. 4. 




9 9 

9 9 


4- 4- 
4* 4- 
4- 4- 







•^ "^ A J. 

+ 4.-^ 4. 

T* •!* "!• *I* 







Trumps all out. 



Three tricks. 



No. 28. 












9„9 




V/" 1 




c^ 




9 ' 9 
9 9 






9 9 

9 
9 9 












♦ -^ -^ * ♦ ♦ 



w 



N 



S 



E 







9 9 

9 
9 ^ 

9 9 



♦ ♦ 
♦ 

^ ^ 


9 ^^ 

1^ 9 








0^0 











4*4 



4 4 

4 
4 ♦ 

4 4 



Trumps all out. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 



417 



No. 2Q. 




^ 




4. 4. 
4. 4. 

4. 4* 




'y 






O 


O 



N 



E 



S 






4. 4- 
4. 4. 


4. 4. 

4.^4. 

4-.4- 

4.***4. 


1 


4-,4- 

4* 
4. 4. 

4> 

4.^4. 




4-,4' 
4* 

4. 4. 

4. 4. 




0^0 





4» 4" n» 4» 
4*. 4* 
4.*4. 

4> 4* 4* 4* 



lO 
0*0 



Trumps all out. 



Six tricks. 



No. 30. 






^ 


i 




^ 9? 
^ 9? 


4-4-4- 

4- 4- 
4-4-4- 




9 
9 




4. 4. 


4» ' 

4* 


4* 








W 



♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 







4-4-4-4- 

4- 4- 

4,.^4-4. 



N 



S 



E 



4-, 4* 
4. 4. 

4. 4. 



4. 

4- 










4-4-4-4- 

4- 

4-4-4-4- 


9 




4 ♦ 


i 








4. 4- 

4* 

4. 4. 





Trumps all out. 



Three tricks. 



4iB 



Critical Endings. 



No. 31. 





^^^ 

^ ^ 
^„^ 

c?^^ 


9 ^ 
^ ^ 






Four tricks. 



No. 32. 




^ 


^^M 

^M 




^ 

9 



w 



N 



S 



E 









4. ^ 
4. 4. 












a 




0^0 
















9 9 







Clubs trumps. 



Four tricks. 



Critical Endings. 
No. 33. 



419 



J^ 


1^ 


f 


1 


































% 


Ik. 


/i 


m 




v* 


9 


^ 


'9 


9 


ro 


9 



w 



E 



S 



















4. 4. 

4.^4- 

4- '^4- 








0% 









1 




4. 4. 

4. "^4. 

4. 4. 




4» 

4. 4. 

4. 4. 




4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 



Hearts trumps. 



Three tricks. 




4.^4. 
+ 4.-^ 




1 




4» 
4. 4. 

4.^4, 








4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 





No. 34. 



4. 4. 
4. 4. 



w 



4. 4. 4. 

4. 4. 

4. 4. 4. 



Hearts trumps. 



N 



S 







E 



9 


9 


9 


9 


9 


9 




4- 


4- 


4. 


•!• 



9 9 

9 
9 9 


4- 
4- 


1 






0^0 












O 

O 






Three tricks. 



420 



Critical Endings. 



No. 35. 







9 ^ 

^ 
c? cp 

^ ^ 










0^0 





ol 






















Hearts trumps. 



w 



1 


1 



N 



S 



E 



* ♦ 4> * •?• •!• 




O 





9 ^ 

^ 9? 


1 

















oooo 

o o 

oooo 





Four tricks. 



No; 30. 




i 







4. 4. 
4.^4. 


oooo 



oooo 


4. 4. 
4. 4. 





9? 9? 



w 






N 



S 






9? 9 
9 9? 



E 







4, 4- 

4«*+ 
4. 4. 


0% 


4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 






4. 4- 
4. 4. 





Diamonds trumps. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 



421 



No. 37. 















Clubs trumps. 













u 


4. 4. 

4» 

4. 4. 


wi 


4. 4* 

4.'4*4. 
4- 4- 




4-, 4* 

4* 
4. 4. 

4. 4. 








4. 4* 

4. 4. 
4. 4. 





Three tricks. 



No. 38. 




Spades trumps. 



Three tricks. 



422 



Critical Endings. 



No. 3Q. 






9? 



N 



E 







^ 


4. 4. 

4. -^4. 




^9^ 
^ ^ 

^^^ 
^^c? 




4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 













Diamonds trumps. 



Four tricks. 




1 








4 -^ 




<0 






u^ 

♦ > 

♦ 4 





w 



N 



S 



E 





1^ 4ik 





s? 


s? 


<^ 


9 




i^i 


1^ 


^^ 


m 


)m 


M 


isM 


^ 



o o 

o o 



M 


i 


1 


1 




v^ 


^ 


\? 9? 
9?^9? 


^ 


<? 




9 


9? 


9 


9 


"^ 


9? 



Diamonds trumps. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 



No. 41. 



423 



^m 







OOOO 


oooo 




9 9 

9 9 




0.^ 








9 9 
9 9 



4 ^ 



Hearts trumps. 



9 9 

9 
9 9 



w 



4. 4. 
4. 4. 


0^0 







N 



S 



9 


9 9 
9 9 

9 9 



E 



*4.-^ 
4. 4. 

4. 4. 



4. 4. 

4.^4. 






















1 


1 


^ 


1" 


^ 


m 


i 


1 




9 


9 


9 


9 


9 


9 



Four tricks. 



No. 42. 







♦ ♦ 4- 4* 
^ ^ 4. 4. 




oooo 



oooo 










•*• 

4. 4. 

4.^4. 






4. 4. 
4. 4. 


ft 




4- 
4- 















Hearts trumps. 



Four tricks. 



424 



Critical Endings. 



No. 43. 




4 


4. 4. 

4.^4. 


4» 
4. 4. 

4. 4. 


4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 


oooo 



oooo 



T A T 4* 4* 

1 V 

^ 4. 4. 
4' 4* 



Spades trumps. 



Three tricks. 



No. 44' 




4* .4' 4*, 4*^ 4* 4* 

4''^4'| 14- 4', [♦ 4^ 


























1 












4» 
4. 4. 

4* 
4.^4. 








4. 4. 
4. 4- 







Hearts trumps. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 



425 



No. 45. 



♦ ♦ 
♦ 

♦ ^ 



^M( 



9^9 
^9 
9 9 
^^9 






0^0 





9 9 

9 9 

9 
9 9 

^ 9 











■ 






Spades trumps. 



w 



9 


9 




7 


9 


9 


9 


9 



N 



S 






9 9 



9 9 



E 



9 


9 


9 


9 


9 


9 





0% 










4.^4- 

•?-A-^ 

4. -^4. 


1 




4» 
4- 4- 

4- 4- 


9 9 

9 
9 9 


4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 
















Four tricks. 



No. 46. 



♦ 
* 
♦ 


4* 


4. 4. 

I4. 4- 


1 




0% 







4» 

4. 4. 

4* 
4-^4- 




1 


4-,4- 

4* 
4. 4. 

4. 4- 










9 



N 



W 



S 




4k <f 


9^9 

'7 9 
9 9 
c?^9 


9 9 

9 
9 9 

9 
9 9 



Spades trumps. 



E 



4.^4. 

4-*^4- 




■ 






4- 4- 

4'*4- 
4- 4- 


9 9 

9 9 
9 

9 9 








9 9 
9 9 
9 9 



9 


9 




7 


9 


9 


9 


9 



9 9 



9 9 



Five tricks. 



426 



Critical Endings. 



No. 47. 



£S 



♦ ♦ 

♦ 

4(. ^ 







4. 4. 

4.*4' 
4. 4. 


^ 

^ 

♦ 








ft 








Hearts trumps. 



w 





0^0 















N 



S 



♦ ♦ 
4 ♦ 




^ ^ 

^ 
^ ^ 



E 



4- .•!• 






















0, 


[<>_ 





0" 












O 



O 



M 


fe 




1 




♦ 


♦ 


♦ 


♦ 


♦ 


♦ 




4* 


^ 


♦ 


♦ 


4. 


4- 



Three tricks. 



No. ^&. 



^ ^ 

^^^ 

^^^ 
^ V 




^ 9 
^ 9 




^ 9 

^ 
^ ^ 

^ 9 




4. 4. 
4. •^4. 









♦ **► 
4^ f 



w 



9 



♦ .♦ ♦ ♦ 4* * 

T IT ^ ^ "t* •!• 



N 



S 



^^^ 

c?^ 

"^e?^ 
c?^^ 





E 






Oi 





e 


♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 








1 









Clubs trumps. 



Four tricks. 



Critical Eudings. 



427 



No. 40. 



T V 4* , •!• 

4* 
4. 4. 

T ^ 4* 4* 






♦ ♦ 

♦ .-f 
^♦^ 

f ♦ 


4. 4. 

4-*4- 

4. 4. 






4. 4. 
4. 4. 




0^0 







1 




^ 



Hearts trumps. 



Three tricks. 



No. 50. 



4-4-4-4- 

4- 
4-4-4-4- 




4. 4. 

4. -^4. 

4. 4. 






4- 4- 

4» 4* 
4. 4. 


1 






w 



-«--*i 

^t:^ 



S 



4-4--«-4- 

4- 4- 

4-4-4-4- 


9 9 
9 9 



4. •^4. 

4-*4. 


<> 









1 




m. 


E 


9^9 
9 9 

9^9 


4. 4. 
4. 4. 




0^0 











4» 

4. 4. 

4> 
4.^4. 


4' 4* 

4* 

4. 4. 





Diamonds trumps. 



Three tricks. 



428 



Critical Endings. 



No. 51. 



4> ^ 



^ ^ 
^ 9 
^ 9 


oooo 

o o 
oooo 



0% 



9 

1 




9 ^ 

9 ^ 






9 ^ 





w 



N 



Spades trumps. 



s 



E 



4^ 4^ 




vW, 




V 9 


9 9 

9 9 







c^^='-;u 



Ltmt^^^ii 



Three tricks. 



No. 52. 







♦^ 


*^ 


w^ 


M 


^^^ 




♦ 


t 


:♦ 


♦ 


4 


it» 


♦ 




A 


♦ 


4 




♦ 


♦ 


♦ 


♦ 



Hearts trumps. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 



429 



No. 53. 



^ ^ 

-f 
♦ ^ 

♦ 
^ ^ 



♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 

♦ -^ 







^ ^ 



*(► ♦ 



®PI 



o 

0^0 

o o 



w 



Diamonds trumps. 



'^ 9 

9 9 


4- 



N 



S 



9 9 

9 9 

9^9 
9 9 


4. ^ 
^ 4. 
4. 4. 



E 



4. 4. 

4. 4. 



O 
0% 






9 9 

9 
9 9 

9 
9 9 


%1 







9 9 
9 9 
9 9 









4.*4. 





Three tricks. 



No. 5^* 






0^0 








o 



o 




♦ ♦ 

♦ 
^ ^ 




9 9 
9 9 
9^9 

9 9 


9 9 
9 9 
9 9 


9 
9 
9 


9 

9 



Clubs trumps. 



Three tricks. 



430 



Critical Endings. 



No. 55. 




4.'^4* 
4.-*-4* 



^ 




9 9 




4. 4* 

4.*4* 
4. 4. 











4. 4. 
4. 4. 





w 



4. 4. 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 



N 




4. 4. 

*^ 

4. 4. 


oooo 



oooo 












i 




^ ^ 

^ 
^ ^ 

9 ^ 


E 






0^0 




















4. 4. 
4.^4. 


•!* 





Clubs trumps. 



Four tricks. 




No. 56. 



^ ^ 



9 ^ 



N 



^ \? 


4»5^ 


C? <v 


i^P^ 


^V?.- 


i^v^^^^ij 


7 ^ 


P^ 



4*' 
4. 4. 



E 



4. 4. 

4.^4* 
4. 4. 




4.^4. 

4.->4. 



•4* 
4. 4. 

4* 
4.^4. 



4. 4. 

4. 4. 



^ 


9 




9/ 




9 


9 


<? 


9 


^ 


^ 




9 


9 


9 


9 


c? 


^ 



Hearts trumps. 



Three tricks. 



Critical Endings. 



431 



No. 57. 
















4. 4. 

4> 
4.^4. 



Clubs trumps. 



Three tricks. 



No. 5S. 




%* 
%* 

♦ % 




4. 4- 
*4.-^ 

4. 4. 










0% 




9 ^ 

«? 
9 ^ 

^ ^ 





im^G 



W 



4- ^4* 

4» 
4. 4. 

4> 
4.^4. 












N 



S 



E 



4. 4- 
4.^4. 

4-*4- 


4. 4. 
4. 4. 

4. •{• 















♦ ♦ 

4 

♦ ♦ 




fl 


C' 





4. 4. 

4. 4. 















Clubs trumps. 



Four tricks. 



432 



Critical Endings. 



No. 50. 



^ 




9 ^ 




9 
9 
9 




4*^4* 

4*^4. 


4* 
4* 4* 

4> 
4* 4* 




9 


9 




9 


9 


9 




9 


9 


9 



Hearts trumps. 



Five tricks. 



No. CO. 



9 9 

9 9 

9 9 
9 9 


9 9 
9 9 


9 
9 
9 


4* 

A A 

*i* *I* 

4. 4. 


4. 4. 

4» 
4* 4- 


4- 
4* 
4* 









7 9 

9 
7 9 

9 
9 9 


7 7 

9 
9 9 

9 9 




4*^4. 

4*^4* 



Hearts trumps. 



Four tricks. 



Critical Endings. 
No. 61. 



433 




♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 
*► ♦ 



4-.4- 
4» 

4* 4" 

4* 








* f 
♦ 

♦ -^ 




4- 4- 
4« 4- 
4" 4- 












4- 

4- 







w 




^ 



9 ^ 
9 9 



0% 



N 



S 



E 



^ 4- 
4.^4- 

4-*4- 




4* 
4- 4- 

4. 4. 




Spades trumps. 



Five tricks. 



No. 62. 



ml 




^9^ 
^ ^ 

^„^ 
^^^ 



oooo 

o o 
oooo 




^ ^ 

^^^ 

^^^ 

^ ^ 





0% 


4'4 







o 





w 



^ 



<? 



N 



4» 4» 
4'.4' 
4-*4- 

4* 4- 



4« 
4* 
4- 



E 



Spades trumps. 










4» 

4* 4* 








4> 




9 ^ 
^ 9 
^ 9 






4* 4- 
4* 






4. 4. 


d 







Five tricks. 



434 



Critical Endings. 



No. 63. 





^: 


♦ 


^t 


♦ 




^ 


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Solutions. 

No. I. 

Underplay to preserve tenace, and keep command of 
adverse suit. 

Trick 1.— South leads Heart Jack; West plays the Queen (thus 
preserving the tenace in North's suit; if he plays Ace, he leaves 
North with the tenace. and North and South win four tricks); 
won by North with the King. 

Trick 2. — North is forced to discontinue the Hearts, and 
leads Spade 8; East plays the 4; (now. if South wins with King, 
West throws Queen, and East and West score the last three 
tricks; therefore) South plays the 9; West must win with Queen. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— Either South makes Spade King, and North 
Heart 9, or North takes two tricks in Hearts. 

No. 2. 

Preserving a reentry. 
TricJc 1. — South leads Spade Jack; North passes; won by East. 



Critical Endings. 441 

Tricks 2 to 5 — East leads Diamond, won by South with the 
Queen, and North makes Spade Ace and 7. 

No. 3. 

Winning partner's trick in trumps. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade Jack, won by North with the 
Queen. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — North leads winning Club, and West can only 
make his trump. 

If North omits to win the trump at trick i East and West 
must make two tricks. 

No. 4. 

This position illustrates the following paragraph from 

Hoyle (the designations of the players have been changed) : 

"North and South are partners against East and West, and 
all the trumps are played out except one, which East or West 
has, North has three or four winning cards in his hand of a suit 
already played, with an Ace and one small card of another suit. 
Query: Whether it is North's best play to throw away one of his 
winning cards or the small card to his Ace suit? Answer: It is 
his best play to throw one of his winning cards, because, if his 
right hand adversary plays to his Ace suit, he has it in his power 
to pass it, and consequently his partner, South, has an equal 
chance to have a better card in that suit than the third hand; if 
so, and he has any forcing card, or one of his partner's suit to 
play to in order to force out the last trump, his Ace remaining 
in his hand, brings in his winning cards; whereas, if North had 
thrown away the small card to his Ace suit, and that his right 
hand adversary had led that suit, he had been obliged to put on 
his Ace, and consequently had lost some tricks by this method of 
play." (Short Treatise, Chapter XV, Para. 8.) 

No. 5. 

Declining to draw the losing trump. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond 9; West plays the Ace; North 
throws the King (unblocking partner's suit). 

Tricks 2 to 5. — And North and South must win two more 
tricks. 

If, at trick i, South draws Spade 8, East and West must 
make a Diamond, a Club and a Heart. 



442 Critical Eudings. 

No. 6. 

Making losing trumps separately. 

Tn'cA- 1.— South leads Heart lo; West covers with Queen; 
North trumps. 

Trick 2. — North leads Diamond 4, trumped by South. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— South leads Heart 7; North discards Spade 10; 
East trumps, and North must make Club 8. 

No. 7. . 

Discarding the best of a suit, to make a losing trump 
separately. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond Jack, won by North with the 
King. 

Trick 2. — North leads Diamond 10; South discards Spade 
Queen. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North leads Spade 5; South trumps, forcing 
Club King, and North must make Club Jack. 

No. 8. 

Throwing away the best of a suit, to make second best 

trump held single. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade Queen and wins. 

Trick 2.— South leads a Heart, which North trumps. 

Trick 3.— North leads Spade King, on which South discards 
Diamond King. 

Tricks 4 and 5. — North leads a Diamond; and, however East 
plays, South makes the 10 of trumps. 

No. 9. 

Rufifing with the best trump for partner's benefit; 
throwing away the best of a suit ; and placing the lead. 

Trick 1.— South leads Heart 7; North discards Club Ace. 

Trick 2.— South leads Club 3; North trumps with the King. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— North leads Spade, won by West, and South 
must make both his trumps. 



Critical Endings. 443 

No. 10. 

Making winning trumps separately. 

Trick 1. — South leads Heart King, on which North discards 
Club King. 

Tricks 2 to 5.— In consequence, North and South win four 
more tricks by a cross-ruff, while East and West are forced to 
throw their trumps away. 

No. II. 

Making trumps separately. 

Trick 1. — South leads Heart 4, won by North with the 9. 
Trick 2. — North leads Heart 3; South trumps with the Ace. 
Tricks 3 to 5. — South leads Diamond 7, which East is com- 
pelled to win, and North must make his Queen of trumps. 

No. 12. 

Making winning and losing trumps separately. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade 8; West discards small Diamond 
(best); North discards Club Ace. 

Trick 2. — South leads Club; West again discards Diamond; 
North trumps with the 6. 

Triclcs 3 to 5.— North leads Diamond Jack, then losing Dia- 
mond, trumped by South with the Jack, and North's Queen of 
trumps takes the last trick. 

If West trumps at trick i, North overtrumps, leads 6 of 
trumps, and North and South win the five tricks easily. 

If West trumps at trick 2, North overtrumps, leads Diamond 
Jack, on which South discards Club; then 6 of trumps won by 
South, and Spade 2 takes the last trick. 

No. 13. 

Refusing to trump when you may be overtrumped, 
and have an advantageous discard. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club Queen; North discards Heart. 

Trick 2. — South leads Spade 10; North discards his second 
Heart. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North trumps a Heart with Diamond 6, and 
has the two best trumps remaining in hand. 



444 Critical Endings. 

No. 14. 

Refusing to overtrump, when you will be again over- 
trumped, and have an advantageous discard. 

Tricic 1. — South leads Club Ace and wins. 

Trick 2. — South leads Spade 9; West trumps; North discards 
Diamond 10. 

Tricks 3i to 5. — Whatever West leads, North and South make 
their trumps separately. 

No. 15. 

Trumping a thirteener in order to force the strong 
opponent to overtrump. Compare No. 7. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond, won by West. 

Trick 2. — West leads Club 7; North discards Diamond; won 
by South. •« 

Tricks' 3 to 5. — South leads Diamond; West discards Club; 
North trumps, and whether East wins or passes, North and South 
make their three tricks. 

No. 16. 

Lead of a losing twelfth to force the second hand. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade 8; West trumps with the Queen 
(best); North discards Heart 6. (If he discards losing Club, West 
leads Diamond Ace, then Club 7, and Diamond 3 must win.) 

Tricks 2 to 5. — West can only make Diamond Ace. 

No. 17. 

Lead of a winning twelfth through second hand 
trumps ; not giving second hand an advantageous discard. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond King, under which North 
throws the Jack. 

Trick 2. — South leads Club 6; West discards Spade 5 (his best 
course, as it gives North the chance of throwing away the wrong 
card) ; North discards Diamond 8. 

Trick 3. — South leads Diamond; West trumps with the 10; 
North overtrumps with the Jack. 

Tricks i and 5. — North leads the losing trump, on which South 
discards Spade, and South's other Diamond wins the final. 



Critical Endings, 445 

If, at trick i. North makes the mistake of playing Diamond 
8, West plays lo of trumps on the Ckib next led by South, and, 
whether North overtrumps or not, East and West win two tricks. 

No. 18. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade Jack; West discards Club lo; 
North discards Club Queen. 

Trick 2. — South leads Club 7; West discards Heart; North 
trumps. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North makes Heart Jack, and South a trump. 

If, at trick i, West trumps with the Queen, North discards 
Heart 5, and South's fourchette in trumps over East's 10, becomes 
the major tenace. 

No. 19. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond 10; West discards Spade 7; 
North discards Spade King. 

Trick 2. — South leads Spade 9; West must either put up Club 
King or discard Heart Ace. In either case, Club Queen and 10 
make separately. 

If, at trick i, West trumps with the King, or discards Heart, 
North discards Heart 5. 

If he trumps with the 5, North overtrumps, leads Spade King, 
then leads Heart won by West, and South makes his Club 10. 



No. 20. 



Placing the lead. 



TiHck 1. — South leads Diamond 6; West plays the 10 and wins. 

Trick 2. — West leads Diamond 4, won by North with the 8. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— North leads Spade 7; whether East plays the 5 
or the 9, South passes, so that either East or West is forced to 
lead the second round. 

No. 21. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond 6, won by East with the 8 
(best). 

Trick 2. — East leads Diamond 3; South discards Spade 9; 
West wins with Diamond 10. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— West leads Spade 2; North puts up the 8 and 
forces East's King, so that North and South take every trick 
in the suit. 



446 Critical Endings. 

Had South discarded Spade 6, West, by leading the 2, and 
not putting up the King, unless to cover the Queen, would have 
secured one trick with the King or 10. 



No. 22. 



Avoiding the lead. 



Trick 1. — South leads Diamond Queen and wins; East plays 
the 5- 

Trick 2. — South leads losing Diamond; North discards Club 
King. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South must make Club 10 and the long Dia- 
mond. 

No. 23. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade Jack; North discards Diamond 
Ace; East plays the 3. 

Trick 2. — South leads a high Diamond; West plays the 2. (If 
he wins he must lead back to South's major tenace.) 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South leads losing Spade, won by East, and 

North must make Club 9. 

No. 24. 

Trick 1.— South leads Club 5; if West plays Queen, North 
discards Diamond Queen; if West plays 7, North discards Spade 3. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — In the former case, South makes a Diamond 
and both his Clubs. In the latter case, East's best lead is a 
high Spade; North refuses to win (the "Bath co»/)"), and must 
then make his other two Spades and Diamond Queen. 



No. 25. 

Ti'ick 1. — South leads Heart 9; if West plays the Jack. North 
discards Spade King; if West plays the 6, North discards small 
Club, and East wins with Heart 10. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — In the latter case, if East at once continues 
Heart, North discards Spade King on South's Queen. But if 
East first leads Club Jack, and then the Heart; North retains his 
Spade as reentry for Club 9. 



Critical Endings. 447 

No. 26. 

Trick 1.— South leads Heart Queen; if West puts on the King, 
North discards Ckib 5; but if West passes, North discards Spade 
Jack. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — In the latter case. South continues with a 
Spade, won by East, and South's Clubs take the rest. 

No. 2^. 

Trick 1.— South leads Heart 4; West discards Club 4; North 
discards Club King; East wins. 

Trick 2. — East leads Club 5; South plays Queen; West the 
9; North plays Diamond 4. 

Trick 3. — South leads Diamond 10; West plays the 7; North 
the 6. 

Tricks 4 and 5.— South leads Club; and, according as East 
wins or passes, North makes Diamond Queen, or South makes 
another Club. 

No. 28. 

Trick 1.— South leads Heart 6; if West plays 5, North dis- 
cards small Spade; but if West plays 9, North discards Diamond 
Jack. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — In the former case, North wins a trick in 
Spades, and South two tricks in Diamonds. In the latter case, 
South wins three tricks in Diamonds. 

No. 29. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club King, under which North plays 
the Jack. 

Ti'ick 2. — South leads Spade 7, won by North; East (cannot 
discard Club, or South would make all three of his Clubs; there- 
fore) discards Diamond 9. 

Tricks 3 aiul 4. — North leads Club, and South wins two rounds. 
At trick 4, West must unguard his Diamond Jack, or throw away 
the best Spade. 

Tricks 5 and 6. — Won by North accordingly. 

No. 30. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club 5; West plays in the Queen; North 
throws the 10. 



44^ Critical Endings. 

Tricks 2 to 5.— If West leads Club, South wins two tricks in 
that suit, and North makes Spade lo. If West leads Heart, won 
by East, North wins two tricks in Spades, and South makes Club 
Ace. 

If North makes the mistake of playing Club 2 under West's 
Queen, West leads Club 6, on which East discards Heart Ace. 
East and West win the odd trick. 

No. 31. 

TricTc 1.— South leads Heart 4. If West plays Heart 6, North 
discards Spade King; but if West plays Heart Ace, North dis- 
cards Club 10. 

TricTiS 2 to 5. — In the former case. North and South make 
two Spades and two Clubs. In the latter, if West leads small 
Club, North plays the 6, allowing South to win, and North and 
South make Heart 10 and both the Kings. 

No. 32. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond 7, trumped by North. 

Trick 2. — North leads Spade King, trumped by East and over- 
trumped by South. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— South leads Heart 8; West covers with 9; 
North plays Jack, won by East with Queen. If East then leads 
7, South plays 10; if not. South plays 6. 

No. 33. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club; West trumps with Heart King, 
and 

Trick 2. — Leads the 9, won by South; East discards Diamond. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South leads losing Club, won by East, and 
South makes a Spade, and a Club. 

If, at trick i, South leads Spade 10, East and West win four 
tricks by playing as above. If, at trick i. South leads Heart Jack, 
West plays the 9, and declines to trump Spade 10, if next led by 
South. 

No. 34. 

Trick 1. — South leads Heart 5, won by West; North discards 
Diamond Ace. 

Trick 2.— West leads Club 10; North plays the 3 (the "Bath 
coup"). 



Critical Endings. 449 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South makes three Diamonds, or North three 
Clubs. 

No. 35. 

Refusing to overtrump ; the value of a discard. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade Queen; North discards a Dia- 
mond. 

Trick 2. — South leads Spade 9; West trumps; North discards 
his second Diamond. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— Necessarily won by North. 

No. 2>^. 

Trick 1. — South leads trump, won by West; North discards 
Club King. 

Trick 2. — West leads Club Queen and wins. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South must get in to draw the other trumps, 
and North makes a Heart. 

No. 37. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club 6, won by West; North discards 
Diamond 6, 

Trick 2. — West leads Diamond; North plays the King; East 
trumps with the 9; South discards Heart King. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— East leads Heart 2, won by North, and South 
makes both his trumps. 

No. 38. 

Trick 1.— South leads Club King; North throws the 10. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — And East can make only the best trump and 
Heart King. 

If North makes the mistake of playing Club 8 at trick i. East 
discards Diamond 6, and, if the Club is continued, discards Dia- 
mand 10 (refusing to trump). Since North now has the lead, East 
m.ust win the last three tricks. 

No. 39. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond Jack; West discards Heart 
Jack (best); North must then throw Club King. 

Trick 2. — South leads Club 8, won by West with the Queen; 
North discards Spade Ace. 
20 



450 Critical Endings. 

TricTcs 3 to 5. — South must make both his Spades and Club 
Jack. 

If, at trick i, South leads Club 8, won by North, who at trick 
2 leads Spade Ace, East refuses to trump, discarding his re- 
maining Club. 

If, at trick i, West discards Club or Spade on Diamond Jack 
led. North may discard Heart 5, and North and South win more 
easily. 

No. 40. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond 7; North discards Spade 10. 

Trick 2.— South leads Spade 6; West plays the King; North 
throws Spade Jack. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— West leads Heart 10; North plays Heart 7; 
and, whether East wins or passes, North and South take the 
remaining tricks. 

If, at trick i. South leads Spade Ace, and (trick 2) follows 
with Spade 6, won by West with the King; then (trick 3) West 
leads Heart 10; North plays 7; East takes with the Queen (win- 
ning partner's trick), and West makes his losing trump. 

No. 41. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade 5, trumped by North with the 
Jack. 

T)'icks 2 and 3.— Two rounds trumps. North discards Club 5. 

Tricks 4 and 5. — South leads Diamond, and North must take 
one trick in the suit. 

No. 42. 

Lead of losing trump to bring in partner's suit. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade, trumped by North. 

Trick 2. — North leads losing trump, won by East. (If North 
forces the best trump. North and South win three tricks only.) 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North's reentry in Clubs ensures the bringing 
in of South's Diamonds. 

No. 43. 

Trick 1. — South leads a Club; West plays 9; North the Jack. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — North leads Jack, then 5 of trumps, won by 
East, and North must make Club King. 

If, at trick i. West plays Club Ace, he must continue with a 
Diamond, trumped by East (North discarding Club Jack), and the 
other tricks fall to North. 



Critical Endings. 451 

No. 44. 

Trick 1.— South leads Spade 8; West plays 5; North the 
Queen. 

Trick 2.— North leads Spade Ace; East discards Club (refus- 
ing to trump) ; South discards Diamond. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— North leads 7 of trumps, won by East, and 
South must make Club 10. 

No. 45. 

Trick 1. — South leads Heart 6; North plays the Jack; won 
by East with the Queen. 

Trick 2. — East leads Heart 5 fbest) ; South trumps with one 
of his honors. 

Trick 3. — South leads his small trump, won by North. 

Tricks 4 and 5.— North leads the long Heart, South discarding 
Diamond, and the last trick falls to South's remaining trump. 

If, at trick 2, East leads Club, South discards Diamond at 
once, and North and South make their four trumps separately. 

No. 46. 

Trick 1.— South leads Heart, trumped by North. 

Trick 2. — North leads Club Ace and wins. 

Trick 3.— North leads Club 4. trumped by South with the 
King. 

Tricks 4 to 6. — South leads Spade 7, won by West, and North 
makes two Diamonds. 

No. 47. 

Placing the lead by making adversary overtrump. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club 10; North discards small Diamond. 

Trick 2. — South leads Diamond 4, won by North with the 9. 

Trick 3. — North leads Diamond, trumped by South and over- 
trumped by West. 

Tricks 4 and 5. — If West leads Spade 8. North plays the Jack; 
if not, the 5; and North and South must win one trick in the suit. 

No. 48. 

Refusing to overtrump, to avoid the lead. 
Trick 1. — South leads Heart Ace; North discards Spade 5. 



452 Critical Endings. 

Trick 2. — South leads Diamond Jack; West trumps; North 
discards Spade 8. 

Triclcs 3 to 5.— South makes two Hearts, and North his 
trump. 



No. 49. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond Jack; West plays the King; 
North throws the Queen. 

Trick 2. — West leads Diamond, won by South. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South leads Club 8; West trumps with the 9; 
North discards Spade 10 (retaining tenace), and must win the rest. 

If, at trick 2, West leads Heart Queen, North wins with the 
Ace, South discarding Spade. Then (trick 3) North leads Dia- 
mond, won by South, who leads Club 8, and Heart 6 must win a 
trick. 



No. 50. 

Lead of a winning twelfth, allowing adverse trumps to 
make separately, so as to give partner an advantageous 
discard. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade Ace and wins. 

Trick 2. — South leads Spade 10; North discards Heart 9; East 
trumps (forced). 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North must make either both Clubs, or Club 
King and his trump. 

If, at trick i, South leads Heart 8, West discards a Spade, 
and East, at trick 2, leads Spade Queen. North and South win 
two tricks only. 

No. 51. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club Queen, trumped by West; North 
discards Heart 6. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — North can now trump Heart Ace if led, forcing 
East's Queen and leaving South with the last trump and two 
established Hearts. 

If, at trick i. South leads a trump, won by East, the latter 
throws back the lead to South with a Club, and West, declining 
to win Heart King (the "Bath Coup''), must make Ace and 9. 



Critical Endings. 453 

No. 52. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond lo. If West passes, North 
discards small Spade; but if West trumps, North discards Club 
Ace. In the latter case, the rest of the play depends upon whether 
East discards a Club or a Spade. 

No. 53. 

Trick 1.— South leads a Club; North wins with the Ace. 

Trick 2. — North leads 8 of trumps; South wins with the 
Queen. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— South leads the last Club; East and West can 
only make their two trumps. 

No. 54. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade 5. If West trumps or discards 
Heart, North discards Heart Jack; if West discards Diamond, 
North discards Diamond 2. 

No. 55. 

Trick 1. — South leads Heart King, trumped by North with 
small Club. 

Trick 2. — North leads Diamond 10; South discards Spade Ace. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North leads Club 10; East covers with Jack; 
South plays Queen, won by West; North and South make Club 
8 and King. 

No. 56. 

Trick 1.— South leads Club King; West trumps with 5. 

Trick 2. — West leads Heart Ace; South throws King, and 
North and South win the remainder. 

At trick I, if South leads Heart King, West plays 5; if Heart 
9, West plays Ace and returns Heart 5; if losing Club, East wins 
and returns Club, trumped by West with 5. In each case North 
and South win two tricks only. 

No. 57. 

Trick 1.— South leads Heart 6; West trumps with the King; 
North under-trumps with the Queen. 



454 Critical Endings. 

Tricks 2 to 5. — North and South make two Diamonds and a 
trump; or if, at trick 2, West leads the losing trump, East must 
discard Spade g, and South, at trick 3, leads Spade 7. 



No. 58. 

TricJc 1. — South leads Diamond 4, won by West. 

Trick 2.— West leads Spade 8 (best) ; North trumps with Club 
8; South under-trumps with the 6. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— North leads Heart Jack; East discards Dia- 
mond 7; South discards Diamond Ace, and South's trumps win 
the finals. 

No. 59. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond, trumped by North with the 3. 
Tricks 2 and 3.— North leads Club 10 and 8 and wins. 
Tricks 4 to 6. — North leads Heart 4, won by East or West, 
and the last two tricks are won by North. 

No. 60. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club 10, won by West. 

Trick 2. — West leads Diamond Queen; North trumps with 
the 9; South under-trumps with the 7. 

Trick 3.— North leads trump, w-on by East with the Ace. 

Tricks 4 to 6. — East leads Spade 7; North trumps his partner's 
trick and leads a Club, South making King and Jack of trumps. 

If, at trick 2, West leads Heart 10, won by South with the 
Jack; South, at trick 3, leads Spade King, trumped by North, 
who then leads trump as before. 

No. 61. 

Forcing discards. 

Trick 1. — South leads Jack of trumps; North wins with 
Queen; East discards Heart 4. 

Trick 2. — North leads 6 of trumps; East discards Heart 7, and 
South Heart Ace. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North leads Heart 6. If East discards Club, 
South discards Club 7; if East discards Diamond, South discards 
Diamond Queen. 



Critical Endings. 455 

The slight variations arising from East's discarding otherwise 
at trick 2 will easily be followed. Generally, South discards the 
same suit as East. 



No. 62. 

Trick 1. — South leads Heart 4, won by North with the 10. 

Trick 2. — North leads Jack of trumps; East discards Heart 
8; South discards Heart Ace. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North leads Heart 2; South again discards from 
the same suit as East. 

No. 6^. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade 9; North discards Diamond Jack; 
won by East. 

Tricks 2 to 5.— East leads Diamond 6 (best); North discards 
from the same suit as West. 



No. 64. 

Trick 1. — South leads Club; North discards Spade (refusing 
to trump). 

Trick 2. — West leads Heart (best); South trumps. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South leads Club, trumped by North, forcing 
West either to unguard Spade 10 or throw away the winning 
Heart. 

No. 65. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond King; North discards Heart 
Jack. 

Trick 2. — South leads Heart 8, North discarding small Club. 

Tricks 3 to 5 are played according to the discards of East and 
West at trick 2. If East has discarded Diamond and West a Club, 
South leads Diamond 10, covered by West with Jack and trumped 
by North, and South makes Club Ace and Diamond 7. If East 
has discarded Club and West a Diamond, South leads Diamond 7, 
trumped by North, and wins trick 5 with the 10. If East and 
West both discard Club, South leads Club Ace; North trumps 
at trick 4, and wins trick 5 with Club 10. For East and West 
both to discard Diamond is equally fatal. 



45^ 



Critical Endings. 

No. 66. 



Tricl' 1. — South leads the thirteenth trump, on which North 
discards a Heart; West discards Diamond 6; East discards Spade 7. 

Trick 2. — South leads Diamond, won by North with Queen; 
(West cannot discard Spade 6. as North will then win a trick 
with Spade 3; therefore) West discards Heart 5. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — North leads Spade 9, forcing East to also un- 
guard the Heart suit, or to throw away Diamond Jack. South 
discards from the suit which East retains. 



No. 67. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond 5, won by North with Jack; 
East discards Club 2. (If he discarded Heart, he would make 
good all South's three Hearts.) 

Trick 2. — North leads Heart 3, won by South. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— South leads the best Heart. If West discards 
Club, North discards Diamond, and vice versa. 



No. 68. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond King, won by West with Ace. 

If West leads anything but a trump. North and South make 
Diamond Queen, and their three trumps separately; therefore 

Trick 2. — W^est leads 9 of trumps; South plays Jack on his 
partner's 10. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South leads Heart 3; West must discard Dia- 
mond 7 (otherwise North's Spade will make); North now dis- 
cards Spade 7, and East must either throw away Club Ace or 
also unguard the Diamonds. 



No. 69. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade Queen, won by North with the 
King; East discards Diamond 3. 

Trick 2. — North leads 7 of trumps; East must discard Heart 
6, or he makes good Spade 4; South discards Diamond King; 
West must now discard Diamond Ace, or let the Hearts go, and 
North and South win accordingly. 



Critical Endings. 457 

No. 70. 

Forcing discards by giving two trumps for none. 

Trick 1. — South leads lo of trumps, forcing West to discard 
(«) Heart, (6) Spade, or (c) Club. 

Tricks 2 to 5.— If (a), South leads Heart Jack, then Heart 7; 
and, on the latter card, North discards from the suit that West 
retains. 

If (&) or (c), South at trick 2 leads Spade, won by North with 
Queen; and North, at trick 3, leads the suit of which West is then 
void. If that suit be Clubs, South discards small Spade. West's 
discard to trick 3 must give North and South the last two tricks. 

No. 71. 

Forcing a discard^ combined with the throwing away 
of the best of a suit, to avoid the lead. 

Trick 1. — South leads 5 of trumps; North discards Heart 
King. East cannot discard Spade, or North makes four Spades 
right ofT. East, therefore, discards («) Heart Queen or (&) Dia- 
mond 9. 

Tricks 2 to 5.— If (a), South leads Heart 7, North discarding 
small Spade. If (&), South leads Diamond 4. 

No. y2. 

Forcing a discard, combined with lead of losing 
trump ; throwing away an intermediate card ; and refusing 
to win. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade, on which North discards Dia- 
mond 10 (otherwise, at trick 2, East would lead Diamond 4, and 
East and West win three tricks). West discards Club 3. 

Trick 2. — East leads a high Diamond; South passes; North 
discards Club 5. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — East leads high Diamond; South wins. North 
discards from the suit which West retains. 

No. 73. 

Trick 1.— South leads trump; West discards Spade 8; North 
a Club; East a Diamond. 



45^ Critical Endings. 

Trick 2. — South leads trump; West discards Club Queen 
(best); North discards Diamond 7; East, Club 6. 

Triclcs 3 to 5. — South leads Diamond 5, won by North; and, 
according to East's discard, either North makes his Club or South 
makes Spade 7. 

No. 74. 

Trick 1. — South leads Diamond Queen; North discards Heart 
Ace; East discards Club 10. 

Trick 2. — South leads Heart Jack; North discards Club. 

Tricks 3 to 5.— South leads Heart 9; North keeps the suit 
which West discards, and wins the last two tricks accordingly. 

No. 75. 

Trumping with the best trump, so as to lead partner a 
losing one. 

Trick 1. — South leads Spade 8, trumped by North with the 
Ace; East under-trumps with the 7 (to avoid breaking up one of 
the plain suits). 

Trick 2. — North leads Club 10, won by South with the King. 

Tricks 3 to 5. — South leads the last trump, on which North 
discards Heart King; East must unguard Diamond Jack or throw 
away Heart Ace, and North and South win accordingly. 



•! -X 



WHist Terms. 



WHIST TERMS. 



Abandoned Hand.— When a player throws his cards upon the 
table so that they are exposed, his hand is said to be "abandoned." 
Tide Laws of \\'hist. Sec. 20, Para. i. and Sec. 27. 

Adverse Lead. — The lead of a suit, the command of which 
is adversely held. 

Adverse Trick. — A trick which up to the time a player is 
called upon to play to it, is held by an adversary, or one which 
it is known will ultimately be taken by an opposing hand. To 
illustrate: South leads a plain suit 6; West plays queen. The trick 
is "adverse" to North and South. North covers with king, know- 
ing that East will trump. The suit remains "adverse." 

"Albany Lead." — The original opening with a Supporting 
Card (q. v.) to indicate the holding of four trumps; so called be- 
cause the Albany (N. Y.) Whist Club first adopted the play as a 
conventional practice. 

American Leads. — A system designed mainly to indicate the 
number of cards held in the suit opened. Tide American Leads, 
p. 279 et scq. 

Antepenultimate. — The fourth card of a suit of six, led to 
show number. The play was introduced by General Drayson in 
1879. It differs from the "fourth-best" of American Leads in 
that the first was designed to show two cards lower and the latter 
three higher than the card led. 

Arbitrary Convention. — Tide Convention. 

"Ask." — A player is said to "ask" for trumps when he signals 
to have them led. The trump call is sometimes termed the "ask." 
Tide Trump Signal. 

"Bath Coup." — This stratagem is a specimen of "hold-up." 
Second or fourth hand having ace. jack. etc.. allows the leader's 
king to win, in the hope of gaining by the deception. ^ ide text, 
p. 168. 

(461) 



462 WHist Terms. 

Blocking a Suit is obstructing its play, or the "bringing in" 
of it by retaining a winning card in it. A suit may be blocked 
•by a partner or by an adversary. Vide Unblocking- and Bring In. 

Board. — Another name for a Whist Tray. Tide Tray. 

Book.— A term peculiar to Straight Whist. The first six 
tricks secured by either side constitute a "book." 

Book-play.— Play strictly in accordance with the rules of 
the text-books and which is lacking in originality. The '"book- 
player" is usually thoroughly conversant with the conventionalities 
and ignorant of the principles of the game. 

Bring In.— A suit is "brought in" when tricks are made with 
the long cards of it. Vide Long Cards. 

''Bumble-puppy."— A term derisively applied to poor whist 
play. 

By Cards. — In English Straight Whist the points secured by 
tricks are spoken of as so many "by cards" in distinction to those 
scored "by honors." 

Call. — The signal for trumps is sometimes styled the "call;" 
when a player signals he is said to "call." Tide Trump Signal. 

Calling a Card. — Requiring the play under certain conditions 
of an exposed card. Vide Laws of Whist, Sees. 20 to 23, inclusive. 

Calling a Suit.— Sometimes termed "calling a lead." The 
demand under certain conditions of the lead of a particular suit 
from an adversary. Tide Laws of Whist, Sees. 24, 37 and 38. 

Calling Through an Honor.— An arbitrary convention fre- 
quently used in connection with American Leads. It usually 
takes the form of an irregular original lead, which is intended to 
convey to the partner a command for a trump lead through the 
honor turned. To illustrate: South holds the major tenace and 
other trumps, the king being turned to his right. He opens 
with the 9 of a plain suit instead of the fourth-best from K, J, 
9, 7, 2 in the hope that his partner will detect the departure from 
rule, take the trick and lead a strengthening trump through the 
king. In some systems the lead of a particular card, as queen, 9 
or 8, is made to convey the same intimation. The convention 
is unsound in principle and unprofitable in practice. 

Card of Re-entry. — Tide Re-entry Card. 

Card Sense. — Common sense in its application to card play. 



Whist Terms. 463 

Change the Suit Signal.— An extension of the trump signal 
suggested by General Drayson. When the "ask" can not be in- 
terpreted as a request for a trump lead it is used to signify "change 
to another plain suit." 

Clearing a Suit. — Establishing a suit; playing so as to force 
out the high cards which obstruct its Bringing In (q. v.). 

Clubs. — One of the four s-uits composing the pack; the third 
in the order of notation. 

Code. — The Laws of Whist are frequently spoken of as "The 
Code." 

Combination Game. — Tide text, p. 321 et seq, 

Command. — The hand which contains the best unplayed card 
of a suit has "command" of it; when the suit is established he is 
said to have "complete command" of it. 

Commanding Card. — The best card of a suit in play. Tide 
Master Card. 

Commanding Card. — The best card of a suit in play. 

"Common-sense" Whist. — This term is applied to the game 
as played without arbitrary conventions; he who practices it is 
called a "common-sense" player. 

Compass Whist. — Tide Duplicate Whist. 

Convention. — A play which has a definite predetermined sig- 
nificance; a conventional practice. An "Arbitrary Convention" is 
one which is not based upon any recognized principle of the 
game, and the intended import of which could not be deducible 
by any process of logical reasoning. When the meaning of the 
play is co.nfined by design to a limited number of players it is a 
"Private Convention." 

The lead of king to show ace is a logical convention; the lead 
of king to indicate four trumps would be an arbitrary convention, 
and if the latter significance was maintained a secret by a few 
players it would be a private convention. 

Conventional Play. — Conformity to rule or general practice. 

Coup. — A brilliant or unexpected play usually executed in 
contravention to rule or conventional method. A coup is gener- 
ally a stratagem devised at the moment to meet the emergencies 
of a particular situation, but a few are effected under compara- 
tively frequent conditions and have become almost conventional 



464 Whist Terms. 

in character. Tide Grand Coup, Deschapelles Coup, Bath. Coup 

and Critical Endings, p. 393 ct seq. 

Court Cards. — The Honors (q. v.). 

Cover. — To play higher than a material card led or previously 

played to the trick. 

Critical Ending. — The last few tricks of a deal when they 
aflford scope for exceptional strategy. T'k/c Critical Endings, p. 
393 ^f «^^- 

Cross-Ruff. — The condition which ensues when each of two 
partners trumps a suit which the other is able to lead to him. Tide 
p. 54 ^^ ^'f^- 

Cutting. — The act of dividing the pack preparatory to the 
deal, for the purpose of deciding who shall be partners, or who 
shall play at a table. The last process is termed "cutting in'* 
or "cutting out.'' ^ide Laws of Whist, Sec. 13, et seq. 

Deal. — The fifty-two cards after distribution; the act of dis- 
tributing them; the play of them in its entirety. The dealer is 
said to "have the deal." A Freak Deal is one in which there is 
an extremely unusual distribution of the cards. Piano Deal. — An 
easy deal to play; one which affords no scope for any but ordi- 
nary tactics, so that nothing short of gross violation of the prin- 
ciples of whist could produce a variation in the score. Slam 
Deal. — One resulting in a score of 13 to 0. Misdeal. — Tide Laws 
of Whist, Sec, 43. f^ *■^^• 

Declared Trump. — During recent years the practice has 
obtained some vogue of dispensing with the turned trump, and 
deciding upon a suit for trumps either by cutting from a still 
pack or by arbitrary selection. Under these conditions the trump 
is said to be "declared" in contradistinction to the trump suit 
created by the dealer's turned card. 

Detached Card. — One detached from or drawn clear of a 
player's hand. Tide Laws of Whist (English), Sec. 60. 

Diamonds. — One of the four suits which compose a pack of 
cards. In the notation of printed hands the Diamond suit is the 
fourth in order. 

A particular card of the suit is referred to thus: Jack of 
Diamonds or Diamond Jack. 

Discard. — When a player, having none of the suit led, does 
not trump he "discards" from another suit, and the card thus 



Whist Terms. 465 

played is termed his "discard." Tide Renounce and text, p. 175 
et seq, 

Double Dummy. — Tide Dummy. 

Doubtful Trick. — In its technical sense the phrase is gen- 
erally restricted to situations in which, a losing card having been 
led, second hand is unable to tell to which of the last two players 
the trick will fall. 

Dummy or Dummy Whist is the name applied to the game 
when engaged in by three players, one of whom has an exposed 
hand — which is also called "Dummy" — for a partner. Double 
Dumm.y is played by two persons, each with an exposed or dummy 
hand for partner; this is equivalent to laying all the cards face 
upward, hence playing the hands under the latter conditions by 
any number of players is termed ''double dummy." Double 
Dummy Problem. — A proposition in whist which is worked out 
with the hands exposed. It may involve the entire pack or fewer 
cards (twenty or twenty- four being most commonly used), and 
is generally stated after the following manner: "North to lead 
and with South to take five tricks," or "South to lead. How 
many tricks can North and South make?" The best defense of the 
opposition is always presupposed. 

Duplicate Whist. — Properly speaking the game in which the 
same pairs play and overplay the hands. (Tide Rejoue.) The 
term has, however, come to be applied comprehensively to all 
the various modifications of the original. In the matter of tac- 
tics "Duplicate" and Straight Whist do not differ greatly, but 
their laws vary, and the former game involves some mechanical 
details peculiar to itself. Each card is thrown close to the player, 
instead of to the center of the table; after being turned the cards 
of a hand are laid along the edge of the table in front of the 
player and at the close of the deal are gathered together and 
placed in a pocket of the Tray (q. v.) corresponding with the 
player's Position (q. v.). Thus the hands are kept separate and 
in the same relative positions. At Duplicate proper, for Rejoue, 
the boards are turned before the Overplay (q. v.). so as to throw 
the original North and South hands to the East and West players 
and vice versa. Compass Whist. This is the most popular form of 
Duplicate and the simplest when more than one table is engaged. 
The players are paired in equal numbers sitting North and South 
and East and West. There is no overplay. A certain number of 
boards are played at each table, after which the N. and S. pairs 



466 Whist Terms. 

retain their seats, the E. and W. move to the next table on 
the right or left, whilst the boards are passed in the opposite 
direction. By this arrangement each N. and S. pair plays a 
different set of trays with each E. and W. pair. For the result 
the scores of the players sitting in one direction are com- 
pared irrespective of those Aiade in the other, and the N. and 
S. pair, as well as the E, and W. pair, securing the greatest 
number of tricks wins or makes "top score." Various modifica- 
tions of Compass Whist have been devised. One of these is 
arranged to permit of every player sitting with every other one 
as partner. 

In the matter of computing the results there are several 
methods in addition to the simple comparison of aggregates. 
The best of these are the Howell and Safford systems of scoring. 

Eldest Hand. — The player who opens the deal; he who sits 
to the left of the dealer. Tide Original Lead. 

Eleven Rule. — Tide text, p. 282. 

Equal Cards. — Indifferent Cards (q. v.). 

Equivocal Card. — A card of doubtful inference. The phrase 
is used as a generic term to distinguish the jack, 10 and 9, which 
are led as supporting cards, as well as from definite combinations. 

Establish. — To bring about such a state of a plain suit that 
one side can take all the tricks in it. A suit may be in the con- 
dition of "establishment" without play. 

Etiquette of Whist.— Certain established laws of conduct for 

the guidance of players. No specific penalty attaches to a viola- 
tion of ''etiquette," but for that reason, and because it is a matter 
of honor, gentlemen are punctilious in the observance of the 
etiquette of the game. Tide Etiquette of Whist. 

Exposed Card. — Tide Laws of Whist, Sec. 20, Paras, i, et seq. 

Face Cards. — The Honors (q. v.) 

Fall. — Synonymous with "play" or "drop;" "playing to the fall" 
is acting in accordance with the knowledge and inferences prop- 
erly derivable from the preceding play. "Watching the fall" is 
paying attention to the cards as they are laid upon the table. 

False Card. — One played contrary to conventional practice. 
In its technical sense the term, is usually restricted to cards de- 
liberately so played with a view to deceiving an adversary. 



Whist Terms. 467 

Finesse. — The attempt to hold the trick or to force out a 
certain adverse card with one lower than the highest of the suit 
held by the player. M'dc text, p. 157 ct scq. 

First Hand.— The leader to each trick. 

Follow Suit. — To play a card of the suit led. 

Force. — A player is "forced" when he trumps a plain suit; 
the leader is said to "force" him; the act is termed "a force." 
A player is said to "take a force" when he trumps a suit of which 
he has no card, and to "refuse a force" when he discards under 
such circumstances. 

Forced Discard. — One which admits of no reasonable alterna- 
tive in contradistinction to a "free discard" (q. v.). A forced dis- 
card is usually one which entails a risk or sacrifice, but which 
the situation renders imperative. 

Forced Lead. — An undesirable lead which is resorted to be- 
cause no preferable alternative exists. Some writers designate 
all short suit openings as "forced leads." 

Forming the Table. — Tide Laws of Whist, Sec. 2, et seq. 

Fourchette. — The card next above, and that immediately lower 
in value than a certain card, stands in the relation of a fourchette 
to it. King and jack form the fourchette to queen; or jack being 
out, king and 10. An Imperfect Fourchette consists of the card 
next above and that next but one below a certain card, as jack 
and 8 to 10. 

Four Echo. — Ti'de text, p. 242 et seq, 

Fourth-best. — The fourth in rank of the cards in play of any 
suit; in a special sense the fourth in value of a player's holding 
in any suit. Tide American Leads, p. 281. 

Fourth Hand. — The fourth player to each trick; the "original 
fourth hand" is the last player to the first trick of the deal; the 
"right hand adversary" of the leader. 

Freak Hands. — Those the composition of which is very un- 
usual. 

Free Discard. — One which is the choice of two or more 
alternatives; a discard in a situation where judgment has free 
play. 

Game. — At Straight Whist, one of the divisions of a Rubber 
(q. v.). In America the game consists of seven points; in Eng- 
land five points constitute the game. Tide Short Whist. 



468 Whist Terms. 

Grand Coup. — A stratagem effected b}^ unnecessarily throw- 
ing a trump to a trick, which it cannot hold, in order to avoid a 
subsequent lead, as when the partner or right hand opponent ruffs 
a suit, of which the fourth player is devoid, and he puts upon it 
a lower trump than that already played. 

Guarded Card. — One which is accompanied by as many 
smaller ones of the suit as there are higher cards in play, so that 
it would not have to be put upon the latter if led. In an unopened 
suit, the king with one lower card is "guarded," or the queen with 
two. The 7 would be guarded by the 4 if the 8 was the best card 
out. The smaller card is termed the "guard." 

Hamilton Leads. — Tide text, p. 284. 

Hand. — The thirteen cards dealt to a player; the cards held 
by him at any stage of a deal; the player himself is spoken of as 
"second hand" and so on. The word is sometimes applied to the 
play of the hands, but its use in that connection is giving place 
to the term "deal." 

Hearts. — One of the four suits which compose the Whist pack; 
in the notation of hands the second in order of suits. 

High Cards. — The ace to 9 inclusive. Tide text, p. 9. 

Holding. — The hand; the cards held by a player of a certain 
suit are said to be his "holding." 

Holding Up. — Tide text, p. 167. 

Honors. — The word was formerly used to designate the ace, 
king, queen and jack of trumps, but since the abolition of the 
count for honors its meaning has been extended to include those 
cards in all suits. 

Howell System. — This name is given to a scheme of leads 
(Tide Systems), and also to a method of duplicate play (Tide 
Duplicate Whist and Score), both devised by Mr. E. C. Howell. 

Illustrative Deals. — Printed deals intended to illustrate tac- 
tical points. They are usually accompanied by comments. 

In. — The cards of a deal which have not been played are said 
to be "in" or "in play." Tide Out. 

Indifferent Cards. — Any cards in the same hand which are 
of equal trick taking capacity; thus, if held by one player, the 
king and queen are "indifferent," and so are jack, 9 and 6, the 
10, 8 and 7 having been played. 



Whist Terms. 469 

Inferences. — Deductions drawn from the fall of the cards. 
Vide text, p. 127. 

Informatory Game. — The term is applied to extra conven- 
tional methods of play such as the system of American Leads. 

Interior Lead. — The lead of an intermediate card; one which 
is not the highest of the suit (nor in sequence with it), nor the 
lowest; usually a high card. It is a fundamental principle of the 
so-called "common-sense" systems always to open a suit from 
top or bottom. The term is not applied to the conventional 
fourth-best. 

In the Lead. — Mde Lead. 

Invitation Game. — Tide Systems. 

Inviting a Force. — Playing in a manner which clearly indi- 
cates a desire to be forced, as when a player leads a singleton 
or returns his last of an adversary's suit. 

Irregular Lead. — One which is contrary to conventional 
usage, or at variance with the system practiced by the leader. 

Irregular Play. — Departure from rule. 

Jack. — The fourth card in rank of a suit. Until compara- 
tively recently it was styled "Knave," and represented by the 
abbreviation Kn. in print. This was frequently confused with the 
sign for king. Kg., and resulted in America — where printed dia- 
grams are so widely used — in the substitution of the word jack, 
and the initial J. In Whist the jack enjoys an importance more 
than commensurate with its rank, due to its being the chief 
Supporting Card (q. v.) 

King. — The second card in rank of a suit. Represented in 
Whist notation by the letter K. 

King Leads. — The system in which the King is led with one 
exception whenever accompanied by ace or queen, is so designated; 
the Old Leads (q. v.). 

Knave. — Tide Jack. 

Lead. — To play first to any trick; the player whose turn it is 
to start a trick is said to be "in the lead:" the card he plays is 
his "lead;" the act of playing it is "leading." 

Leading Out of Turn. — Tide Laws of Whist, Sees. 62 and 63. 



470 Whist Terms. 

Leading" Through.— The second hand is "led through" in 
every trick which is not opened with a winning card. In its more 
technical meaning the phrase signifies the lead of a suit, especially 
a supporting card, in which the second hand has considerable 
strength. Tide After Leads, p. 113. 

Leading Up To.— Every lead is "up to" the fourth hand. The 
term is specifically applied to the lead of a suit in which the last 
player is known, or inferred, to be decidedly strong or weak, yide 
After Leads, p. 113. 

Long Cards. — Those of any suit remaining in one hand after 
all the others have been played. 

Long- Suit. — It has been the practice of writers on Whist to 
style suits of four (and more) cards "long" on the ground that 
they exceed in length the mathematical average of 3^/4. Theo- 
retically the definition is correct, but this classification is not 
practicable, yide text, p. 68. 

Long Suit Game. — ^The scheme of strategy, which is based 
upon the principle of establishment. In a more restricted sense 
the phrase is applied to the method of play advocated by Pole and 
"Cavendish." 

Long Trump. — The last trump in play. When two or more 
trumps are held by one player after all the others have been played, 
they are called "long trumps." 

Long Whist. — The seven point game. 

Losing" Card. — One which, unless discarded, must fall to a 
better of the same suit, or to a trump. 

Low Cards. — The 8 to 2, inclusive. T'/(Z<' text, p. 9. 

Major Tenace. — The ace and queen of an unopened suit; the 
best and third-best cards in play of any suit when contained in 
one hand. 

Make. — To shuffle the cards for the dealer is to "make" or 
"make up" the pack; a card "makes" when it wins a trick; players 
are said to "make" the tricks they win. 

Masking a SignaL — Tide text. p. 233. 

Master Card. — The best card of a suit in play; the Command- 
ing Card (q. v.). 

Mark. — A player is said to be "marked" with a card, his pos- 
session of which is indicated by the fall. 



Whist Terms. 471 

Memory Duplicate, or jMnemonic Whist, is so-called be- 
cause memory is generally an important factor in the overplay. 
It is the oldest form of Duplicate Whist. The original hands are 
replayed by the same players, each pair taking in the overplay 
the cards previously handled by their opponents, ^ide Duplicate 
Whist. 

Minor Tenace. — The king and jack of an unopened suit, and 
the second- and fourth-best cards in play of any suit when held 
by one hand. 

Misdeal. — Tide Laws of Whist, Sees. 43 to 51, inclusive. 

Modified Whist. — A name recently applied to the Combina- 
tion Game. Ti(Ze text, p. 321 et seq. 

Number-showing Leads. — The American Leads, ^ide text 
P'. 279 et seq, 

Odd Trick. — In Straight Whist the thirteenth of a deal in 
which each side has secured six of the previous tricks; sometimes 
called the "odd card" or the "odd." 

Old Leads. — A system whose chief characteristic is the pre- 
cision with which the leader is enabled to indicate his holding of 
high cards. 

Ace is led from A, Q, J, etc., and A, * * * * etc. 

King is led from any combination which includes either ace 
or queen, with the exception of K, Q, J, * * etc. 

Queen is led from Q, J, 10, etc. 

Jack is led from K, Q, J, * * etc. 

10 is led from K, J, 10, etc. 

9 is led from A, Q, 10, 9, * and A, J, 10, 9, *. 

All other combinations are opened with the lowest card. 

Opening. — The first player "opens" the deal when he makes 
the "opening" lead; the card played is termed his "opening;" the 
player who first broaches a suit is said to "open it." 

Original Lead. — The first lead in a deal; the first lead made 
by any player out of his hand. 

Out. — ^Cards which have been played are said to be "out" or 
"out of play." 

Overplay. — The replay of a duplicate deal in which each pair 
plays the hands held by their opponents in the original play. 

Overtrumping. — Playing a trump higher than one which has 
already been played to a trick opened with a plain suit, y'ldc text, 
p. 272 et seq, 



472 



Wliist Terms. 



Pair. — Two partners are styled a "pair." 

Partner. — One who sits opposite to a player at Whist, and 
whose cards are played in combination with his. 

Pass. — To refrain from making an efifort to take a trick while 
having the ability to do so. 

Penalty. — The punishment inflicted for a violation of the 
laws of the game. 

Penultimate. — The lowest card but one of a player's holding 
in any suit. The lead of this card, instead of the lowest, in five- 
card suits was introduced by ''Cavendish." The play has since 
given way to the fourth-best lead as a means of showing number. 

Perception. — The faculty of drawing correct inferences from 
the past play and founding upon them sound prognoses of the 
future development of a deal. Perception Problem. — A proposi- 
tion to be tliought out by the exercise of the quality of whist per- 
ception. In this it is distinguished from the Double Dummy 
Problem {Tide Dummy;, which is to be icorl-ed out by the exer- 
cise of ordinary ingenuity. The data of a Perception Problem is 
usually one hand and a few tricks of a deal from which it is re- 
quired to deduce the subsequent play. 

Permutation.— In Whist the subjection of four hands to all 
the possible changes of position — six in number — of which they 
are capable. The method is employed to test the value of certain 
hands or the effect of particular leads or play. To illustrate: It is 
desired to test a certain lead from West's hand. The pack is 
dealt, and the hands played, after whi^h the first permutation takes 
place, West's hand retaining its original position throughout. The 
following diagram shows the various permutations to which four 
hands may be subjected: 



N 



S 



E 



W 



1 



E 



W 



N 



W 



s 



s 

N 



E 
E 



N 
S 



W 



s 



w 



N 



w 



E 



E 



S 



N 



Whist Terms. 473 

Placing the Cards.— In Straight Whist the act of drawing 
toward him by each player on request the card which he threw to 
the trick; this is also termed "drawing the cards." Tide Laws of 
Whist, Sec. 34. The inferences derivable from the play of a deal 
enable the players to attribute the holding of certain cards to 
particular hands. For instance, when the leader's queen holds the 
trick he "places" the ace with his partner or "marks" him with it. 

Placing the Lead. — Playing with the deliberate purpose of 
putting a certain player — usually an adversary — in the lead. The 
play is in the nature of a coup, its object being to secure the 
advantage of position. 

Plain Suit.— Any suit other than the trump; also called "lay" 
suits. 

Playing for the Odd.— In Straight Whist a tactical diverg- 
ence from the usual play for the purpose of gaining the odd trick. 

Plainfield Lead. — The original lead of a trump from a hand 
containing four of that suit and three of each of the others is so- 
called from the fact that the play was first adopted as a conven- 
tional practice by the team of the Painfield (N. J.) Whist Club. 
Vide Split Hand. 

Plain Suit Signal. — When it cannot be mistaken for a request 
to lead trumps, the trump call is sometimes employed to announce 
strength in the suit in which it is effected. 

Playing Out of Tutu.— Tide Laws of Whist, Sees. 62 and 63. 

Playing to the Score. — In Straight Whist adopting tactics 
especially calculated to save or wan the game or rubber. This is 
one of the most important features of that game. 

Position. — The place occupied by a player at the table; the 
different positions are usually designated by the cardinal points of 
the compass. In its tactical sense the word refers to the place of 
the player relative to the trick; thus a player is said to be in the 
"position" of second hand; the word is also employed with refer- 
ence to the relative locations of different cards of a suit. A 
player is said to "play tor position" when he maneuvers to become 
fourth hand to the lead of a suit in which he holds two of the three 
best cards, the third being with his right hand opponent. Tide 
Tenace. 

Post-mortem. — The examination of deals which have been 
played. This is a very useful and commendable practice if it is 



474 Whist Terms. 

deferred until the close of the sitting, but is highly objectionable 
if allowed to interrupt the course of a series of deals. 

Private Conventions. — Tide Conventions. 

Probabilities. — The mathematical chances affecting Whist 
play. Tide Table of Probabilities, p. 381 et seq. 

Problems. — Tide Dummy and Perception. 

Progressive Duplicate. — Tide Duplicate Whist. 

Protective Discard. — A discard made from one's best suit in 
order to retain guards to possible stoppers in the suits of ad- 
versaries. 

Quart. — Four cards in sequence. 

Quart Major. — Ace to jack, inclusive; the four highest cards 
in play of any suit when held in one hand. 

Queen. — One of the honors; the third in rank of a suit. Rep- 
resented in Whist notation by the letter Q. 

Quint. — Five cards in sequence. 

Quitted. — A card is "quitted" when the player has turned it 
face downward and removed his hand from it. When all the 
players have thus disposed of their cards the trick is said to be 
"turned and quitted." Tide Laws of Whist. Sec. 37. 

Re-entry Card. — Any card which by taking a trick will secure 
the lead to the holder of it. Before a deal is opened the only cards 
which may reasonably be depended upon for reentry are ace and 
guarded king in plain suits and any trump in excess of four in 
one hand. At later stages of the play any card save a plain 
suit deuce may reenter a player. Tide text, p. 137 et seq. 

Rejoue. — The name applied to Duplicate Whist proper, the 
game in which the same players play and overplay the hands. Tide 
Memory Duplicate. 

Renounce. — A "renounce" is acco.mplished by playing a card 
other than one of the suit lead; a player may "renounce" by dis- 
carding or by trumping. 

Reverse Discard. — The Plain Suit Sig-nal (q. v.) made 
whilst discarding to show command of the suit or strength in it. 

Revoke. — A renounce in error. When a player renounces 
whilst holding a card of the suit led he "revokes," and the act is 
termed a "revoke." Vide Laws of Whist, Sees. 28 to 33, inclusive. 



WHist Terms. 475 

Rotary Discard. — One of the least sound and practicable of 
the many arbitrary conventions which have been added to the 
game in the endeavor to convey exact and detailed information. 
According to the "rotary" system the suits are given an arbitrary 
order at the option of the player, and the discard from one indi- 
cates strength in the next. 

Round. — Synonymous with Trick (q. v.). 

Rubber. — In Straight Whist three games constitute a "rub- 
ber," which is won by the pair taking two games. 

Ruff. — Trumping a suit is "ruffing" it, and the act is termed 
a "rufT." 

Ruffing Game. — A method of play designed to make tricks 
by trumping adverse plain suit cards as distinguished from the 
Long Suit Game (q. v.), in which the chief aim is to make tricks 
with the Long Cards (q. v.) of a suit, which necessitates the use 
of trumps for extraction. 

Rules. — Experience and probability have given birth to cer- 
tain rules, which are the basis of good whist play. 

Running Game. — So-called because the chief characteristic 
is the making of the winning cards of a hand as soon as possible. 
As an incidental form of tactics the "running game" is adopted 
by all good players when the development of the deal indicates 
that the adversaries have overwhelming superiority of trumps, 
and there appears to be danger of the good cards of the weaker 
pair being shut out. 

Saving the Game.— In Straight Whist, making a sufficient 
number of tricks to prevent the adversaries going out on the 
deal. The effort to "save the game" often entails exceptional 
tactics. Tide Playing to the Score. 

Schedule. — A formula for the movement of players in Dupli- 
cate Whist (q. V.) 

Score. — The record (at Straight Whist) of the points gained; 
and (at Duplicate) of the tricks taken. One player on each side 
usually "keeps the score." In Duplicate Whist specially printed 
"score-cards" are used for the purpose. In the latter game there 
are various plans for computing the scores. In ordinary Compass 
Whist (Tide Duplicate Whist) the total number of tricks taken 
by each pair is compared with the totals made by all the others 
in the same direction, and the highest N. and S., as well as the 
highest E. and W., are the winners. 



476 Whist Terms. 

Second-hand. — The player to the left of the leader; the "origi- 
nal second-hand" is the player to the left of the opening hand. 

See-saw. — A term sometimes applied to the Cross-ruff (q. v.) 

Semi-honor. — The 10 is called the '"Semi-honor." 

Sequence. — Two or more cards in their natural order held in 
the same hand. 

Seven Point Game. — The game of Straight Whist as played 
in America. 

Short Suit. — In its general acceptance the phrase applies to 
any suit of fewer than four cards. Tide text, p. 70 et seq, 

Short Suit Game. — A generic title for almost all systems 
which differ in any degree from the Long* Suit Game (q. v.) ; a 
game in which short suits are frequently opened in preference to 
long ones, and especially when the latter are in tenace. 

Short Whist. — The game of Straight Whist as played in 
England. 

Shuming.— Vide Laws of Whist, Sees. 8 and 9. 

Signal. — Any conventional manner of playing the cards by 
which information is imparted that would not be logically deduci- 
ble from the fall. 

Signal for Trumps. — A conventional method of requesting a 
lead of trumps from the partner. It consists in playing an nnneces- 
sarilij high card and afterwards a lower one. Tide text, p. 231 
et seq, 

Signalling Game. — One in which an unusual number of sig- 
nals are used. 

Singleton. — An original holding of a single card of any suit. 

Slam. — When one side secures all the tricks of a deal they 
are said to make a '"slam;" such a deal is termed a "slam deal." 

Small Cards. — An indefinite expression generally applied to 
cards lower than the 9. Tide text, p. 9. 

Sneak Lead. — A contemptuous term causelessly applied to the 
lead of a "Singleton" (q. v.). 

Spades. — One of the four suits of which the pack is com- 
posed; the first in the order of notation. A particular card of 
this suit is designated thus: "ace of Spades" or "Spade ace." 



Whist Terms. 477 

Split Hand. — One composed of four trumps and three cards 
of each plain suit. Tide Plainfield Lead and text, p. 86 et scq. 

Still Pack. — Of the two packs of cards generally used in 
Straight Whist, that not in immediate use is called the "still" or 
"dormant" pack. 

Straight Whist. — The original game; its chief peculiarities 
are that it is a single table game played for points; it consists 
of a rubber of three games; the hands are not overplayed; the 
cards of each trick are thrown to the center of the table and 
gathered into a pack by one of the winners. 

Strength. — A very indefinite term in Whist phraseology; per- 
haps properly applied to express a more than average holding 
in the matter of high cards, length or both. 

Strengthening Card. — Tide Supporting Card. 

Strong Suit. — The phrase as employed by most Whist writers 
applies to any suit of four or more cards. Tide text, p. 9. 

Sub-echo. — A player denies the holding of four trumps 
when he fails to echo upon the first opportunity; if he does so 
upon the next he announces the possession of three trumps. The 
signal under the latter circumstances is termed the "sub-echo," 
Tide Echo. 

Suit. — The pack consists of four suits, viz.: Spades, Hearts, 
Clubs and Diamonds in the order followed in the notation of 
deals. The word is also used to signify a player's holding of 
any suit; thus it is customary to speak of South's "strong suit," 
or of East's "Club suit," meaning in each case the cards of a 
particular suit held by the player. 

Suit Echo. — Tide Plain Suit Echo. 

Supporting Card. — A card high enough to be finessed by the 
partner, usually led from a weak or short suit. 

System. — A prearranged method of play. During the past 
fifteen years innumerable systems, for the most part valueless, 
have been exploited. The innovations suggested have generally 
been in the nature of extra-informative leads and signals. 

The most important systems in use have been treated of ex- 
tensively in the fore part of this book. 

Trump Showing Leads. This system was devised to enable 
the leader to announce a holding of four or more trumps by the 



478 Whist Terms. 

lead of certain cards. The plan is sometimes very effective under 
favorable conditions, but its advantages are probably more than 
offset by the inferential declaration of weakness which the oppo- 
nents may deduce from a failure to show strength. 

Invitation Lead. — This is an adaptation of the French invite, 
which is described in one of the earliest books on Whist in that 
language. It is effected by the lead of the lowest card of the suit 
to intimate strength and a desire to have the partner lead trumps 
if he can extend more than average assistance. The play is 
objectionable on the ground advanced against the Trump Show- 
ing Leads, and also because it is susceptible to falsification by 
second-hand, who, by holding up a low card may give the signal 
the appearance of conveying the reverse information to that in- 
tended. 

Howell System. — A method of treating each hand according 
to its composition, devised by E. C. Howell. The range of Whist 
strategy is divided into five plans of tactics: The long suit game, 
the supporting card game, the high card game, the ruffting game 
and the trump attack. The lead indicates which of these methods 
of play the leader desires to adopt and every card in the pack has 
a definite significance in this respect. The scheme is sound in 
theory and very ingenious in construction, but too complicated 
to be practical. When used against adversaries who are thor- 
oughly conversant with it, the system is apt to convey too ex- 
plicit information. 

Table. — In addition to its literal meaning, the word signifies 
the players taking part in the game. Tide Laws of Whist, Sees. 
2 to 6, inclusive. 

Taking a Force. — Tide Force. 

Team. — Two or more pairs of players who play against an 
equal number of opposing pairs. Teams are usually composed of 
members of the same club, who practice together in preparation 
for matches. 

Tenace. — A Fourchette (q. v.). Tide Major Tenace and 
Minor Tenace. The ace and jack when held by one player are 
sometimes called Potential Tenace, or Vice-tenace. If another 
name were necessary, Brevet-tenace might be suggested. The 
early writers used the word "tenace" in the sense of "position." 
intimating the advantage enjoyed by the player who held such 
combinations. 



Whist Terms. 479 

Third-hand. — The third player to any trick; the partner of 
the leader. The "original third-hand" is the third player to the 
first trick of the deal. 

Thirteenth Card. — The last card in play of any suit; some- 
times called a "thirteener." Thirteenth Trump.— The last trump 
in play; the Long Trump. 

Three Trump Echo. — Tide text, p. 242 ct seq, 

Throwing the Lead. — Designedly playing a losing card with 
the intent of disposing of the lead; when the object is to put the 
lead into a certain hand it is more explicitly expressed as '^Plac- 
ing the Lead" (q. v.). 

Tierce. — Three cards in sequence held by one hand. Tierce 
Major. — Ace, king and queen of any suit when held together. 

Top of Nothing Lead. — The lead of the highest card of a 
long, weak suit. 

Tray. — The apparatus used for holding the hands at Dupli- 
cate Whist; sometimes called a "board." 

Trick. — The card led and the three played in succession to 
it constitute a "trick." 

Trump Card. — The last card dealt, which is exposed by the 
dealer and determines the suit which shall be trumps; it is some- 
times called the "Turn Up." 

Trumps.— -One of the suits to which is given a temporary 
superiority during the deal over the three Plain Suits (q. v.). 
The trump is usually determined by the dealer turning the last 
card of the pack in the course of distribution (Tide Trump Card), 
but sometimes by agreement or by cutting. Vide Declared 
Trump. 

Trump Echo. — A signal by means of which a player declares 
his possession of a certain number of trumps. ^ ide text, p. 242 
et seq, 

Trumping In. — Ruffing in a trick to which another player has 
subsequently to play. 

Trump Showing Leads. — Tide Systems. 

Trump Signal. — Tide Signal for Trumps. 

Trump Suit. — Tide Trumps. 

Turned Trump. — Tide Trump Card. 



480 Whist Terms. 

Twelfth Card. — One of two remaining cards of a suit in play 
held in different hands. Twelfth Trump.— One of the last two 
trumps in play being separated. Vide text, p. 221 ct seq, 

Unblocking. — Playing cards which, if retained until later 
rounds, might, by taking the lead from partner, obstruct the 
progress of the suit in his hand. Vide text, p. 

Underplay. — Leading a lower card than that which would 
ordinarily be played whilst holding the latter. Vide text, p. 157. 

Weak Suit. — The term is usually applied to any suit of less 
than four cards in contradistinction to Strong Suit (q. v.). Vide 
text, p. 70. 

Winning Card. — One which may be counted on to take a 
trick if led. 



THe Laws of WHist, 



31 



THE LAWS OF WHIST. 



As Revised and Adopted at the Third American Whist 

Congress, 1893. 



THE GAME. 

1. A game consists of seven points, each trick above six count- 
ing one. The value of the game is determined by deducting the 
losers' score from seven. 

FORMING THE TABLE. 

2. Those first in the room have the preference. If, by reason 
of two or more arriving at the same time, more than four assemble, 
the preference among the last comers is determined by cutting. 
a lower cut giving the preference over all cutting higher. A com- 
plete table consists of six; the four having the preference play. 
Partners are determined by cutting; the highest two play against 
the lowest two; the lowest deals and has the choice of seats and 
cards. 

3. If two players cut intermediate cards of equal value, they 
cut again; the lower of the new cut plays with the original lowest. 

4. If three players cut cards of equal value, they cut again. If 
the fourth has cut the highest card, the lowest two of the new cut 
are partners and the lowest deals. If the fourth has cut the lowest 
card he deals, and the highest two of the new cut are partners. 

5. At the end of a game, if there are more than four belonging 
to the table, a suf^cient number of the players retire to admit those 
awaiting their turn to play. In determining which plavers remain 
in, those who have played a less number of consecutive games 
have the preference over all who have played a greater number; 
between two or more who have played an equal number, the pref- 
erence is determined by cutting, a lower cut giving the preference 
over all cutting higher. 

6. To entitle one to enter a table, he must declare his intention 
to do so before any one of the players has cut for purpose of 
commencing a new game or of cutting out. 

(483) 



484 The Laws of Whist. 

CUTTING. 

7. In cutting, the ace is the lowest card. All must cut from 
the same pack. If a player exposes more than one card he must 
cut again. Drawing cards from the outspread pack may be re- 
sorted to in place of cutting. 

SHUFFLING. 

8. Before every deal, the cards must be shuffled. When two 
packs are used, the dealer's partner must collect and shuffle the 
cards for the ensuing deal and place them at his right hand. In all 
cases the dealer may shuffle last. 

9. A pack must not be shuffled during the play of a hand, nor 
so as to expose the face of any card. 

CUTTING TO THE DEALER. 

10. The dealer must present the pack to his right-hand adver- 
sary to be cut; the adversary must take a portion from the top 
of the pack and place it towards the dealer; at least four cards 
must be left in each packet; the dealer must reunite the packets 
by placing the one not removed in cutting upon the other. 

11. If in cutting or in reuniting the separate packets, a card 
is exposed, the pack must be reshuffled by the dealer and cut again; 
if there is any confusion of the cards or doubt as to the place where 
the pack was separated, there must be a new cut. 

12. If the dealer reshuffles the pack after it has been properly 
cut, he loses his deal. 

DEALING. 

13. When the pack has been properly cut and reunited, the 
dealer must distribute the cards, one at a time, to each player in 
regular rotation, beginning at his left. The last, which is the 
trump card, must be turned up before the dealer. At the end of 
the hand, or when the deal is lost, the deal passes to the player 
next to the dealer on his left, and so on to each in turn. 

14. There must be a new deal by the same dealer: — 

I. If any card except the last is faced in the pack. 

II. If, during the deal or during the play of the hand, the 

pack is proved incorrect or imperfect; but any 
prior score made with that pack shall stand. 

15. If, during the deal, a card is exposed, the side not in fault 
may demand a new deal, provided neither of that side has touched 
a card. If a new deal does not take place, the exposed card is not 
liable to be called. 



The Laws of Whist. 485 

16. Any one dealing out oi turn or with his adversaries' pack 
may be stopped before the trump card is turned, after which, the 
deal is valid, and the packs, if changed, so remain. 

MISDEALING. 

17. It is a misdeal: — 

I. If the dealer omits to have the pack cut and his ad- 

versaries discover the error before the trump card 
is turned and before looking at any of their cards. 

II. If he deals a card incorrectly and fails to correct the 

error before dealing another. 

III. If he counts the cards on the table or in the remainder 

of the pack. 

IV. If, having a perfect pack, he does not deal to each player 

the proper number of cards, and the error is dis- 
covered before all have played to the first trick. 

V. If he looks at the trump card before the deal is com- 

pleted. 

VI. If he places the trump card face downward upon his 

own or any other player's cards. 
A misdeal loses the deal, unless, during the deal, either of the 
adversaries touches a card or in any other manner interrupts the 
dealer. 

THE TRUMP CARD. 

18. The dealer must leave the trump card face upwards on the 
table until it is his turn to play to the first trick; if it is left on the 
table until after the second trick has been turned and quitted, it is 
liable to be called. After it has been lawfully taken up, it must 
not be named, and any player naming it is liable to have his highest 
or his lowest trump called by either adversary. The player may, 
however, ask what the trump suit is. 

IRREGULARITIES IN THE HANDS. 

19. If, at any time after all have played to the first trick, the 
pack being perfect, a player is found to have either more or less 
than his correct number of cards, and his adversaries have their 
right number, the latter, upon the discovery of such surplus or 
deficiency, may consult, and shall have the choice: — 

I. To have a new deal. 

II. To have the hand played out. in which case the surplus 

or missing card or cards are not taken into account. 



4S6 The Laws of Whist. 

If either of the adversaries also has more or less than his cor- 
rect number, there must be a new deal. 

If any player has a surplus card by reason of an omission to 
play to a trick, his adversaries can exercise the foregoing privilege 
only after he has played to the trick following the one in which 
such omission occurred. 



CARDS LIABLE TO BE CALLED. 

20. The following cards are liable to be called by either ad- 
versary : — 

I. Every card faced upon the table otherwise than in the 

regular course of play, but not including a card led 
out of turn. 

II. Every card thrown with the one led or played to the 

current trick. The player must indicate the one 
led or played. 

III. Every card so held by a player that his partner sees 

any portion of its face. 

IV. All the cards in a hand lowered or shown by a player 

so that his partner sees more than one card of it. 

V. Every card named by the player holding it. 

21. All cards liable to be called must be placed and left face up- 
wards on the table. A player must lead or play them when called, 
provided he can do so without revoking. The call may be re- 
peated at each trick tmtil the card is played. A player cannot be 
prevented from leading or playing a card liable to be called; if he 
can get rid of it in the course of play, no penalty remains. 

22. If a player leads a card better than any his adversaries 
hold of the suit, and then leads one or more other cards without 
waiting for his partner to play, the latter may be called upon by 
either adversary to take the first trick, and the other cards thus 
improperly played are liable to be called: it makes no difference 
whether he olays them one after the other, or throws them all on 
the table together, after the first card is played, the others are 
liable to be called. 

23. A player having a card liable to be called must not plav 
another until the adversaries have stated whether or not they 
wish to call the card liable to the penalty. If he plays another card 
without awaiting the decision oi the adversaries, such other card 
also is liable to be called. 



The Laws of Whist. 487 

LEADING OUT OF TURN. 

24. If any player leads out of turn, a suit may be called from 
him or his partner the first time it is the turn of either of them to 
lead. The penalty can be enforced only by the adversary on the 
right of the player from whom a suit can be lawfully called. 

If a player, so called on to lead a suit, has none of it, or if all 
have played to the false lead, no penalty can be enforced. If all 
have not played to the trick, the cards erroneously played to such 
false lead are not liable to be called and must be taken back. 

PLAYING OUT OF TURN. 

25. If the third hand plays before the second, the fourth hand 
also may play before the second. 

26. If the third hand has not played, and the fourth hand plays 
before the second, the latter may be called upon by the third hand 
to play his highest or lowest card of the suit led or, if he has none, 
to trump or not to trump the trick. 

ABANDONED HANDS. 

27. If all four players throw their cards on the table, face up- 
wards, no further play of that hand is permitted. The result of the 
hand, as then claimed or admitted, is established, provided that, 
if a revoke is discovered, the revoke penalty attaches. 

REVOKING. 

28. A revoke is a renounce in error not corrected in time. A 
player renounces in error, when, holding* one or more cards of the 
suit led, he plays a card of a difTerent suit. 

A renounce in error may be corrected by the player making it, 
before the trick in which it occurs has been turned and quitted, 
unless either he or his partner, whether in his right turn or other- 
wise, has led or played to the following trick, or unless his partner 
has asked whether or not he has any of the suit renounced. 

29. If a player corrects his mistake in time to save a revoke, 
the card improperly played by him is liable to be called; any player 
or players, who have played after him, may withdraw their cards 
and substitute others; the cards so withdrawn are not liable to be 
called. 

30. The penalty for revoking is the transfer of two tricks from 
the revoking side to their adversaries; it can be enforced for as 
many revokes as occur during the hand. The revoking side can- 



488 The Laws of WHist. 

not win the game in that hand; if both sides revoke, neither can 
win the game in that hand. 

31. The revoking player and his partner may require the hand 
in w'hich the revoke has been made, to be played out, and score 
all points made by them up to the score of six. 

32. At the end of a hand, the claimants of a revoke may search 
all the tricks. If the cards have been mixed, the claim may be 
urged and proved, if possible; but no proof is necessary and the 
revoke is established, if, after it has been claimed, the accused 
player or his partner mixes the cards before they have been ex- 
amined to the satisfaction of the adversaries. 

33. The revoke can be claimed at any time before the cards 
have been presented and cut for the following deal, but not there- 
after. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

34. Any one, during the play of a trick and before the cards 
have been touched for the purpose of gathering them together, 
may demand that the players draw their cards. 

35. If any one, prior to his partner playing, calls attention in 
any manner to the trick or to the score, the adversary last to play 
to the trick may require the offender's partner to play his highest 
or lowest of the suit led or, if he has none, to trump or not to 
trump the trick. 

36. If any player says, 'T can win the rest." "The rest are 
ours," "We have the game," or words to that effect, his partner's 
cards must be laid upon the table and are liable to be called. 

37. When a trick has been turned and quitted, it must not 
again be seen until after the hand has been played. A violation of 
this law subjects the offender's side to the same penalt-^' as in case 
of a lead out of turn. 

38. If a player is law^fully called upon to play the highest or 
lowest of a suit, or to trump or not to trump a trick, or to lead a 
suit, and unnecessarily fails to comply, he is liable to the same 
penalty as if he had revoked. 

39. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, the offender 
must await the decision of the adversaries. If either of them, with 
or without his partner's consent, demands a penalty, to which 
they are entitled, such decision is final. If the wrong adversary 
demands a penalty or a wTong penalty is demanded, none can be 
enforced. 



THE ETIQUETTE OF WHIST. 

As Adopted at the Third American Whist Congress, 1893. 



The following rules belong to the established code of Whist 
Etiquette. They are formulated with a view to discourage and re- 
press certain improprieties of conduct, therein pointed out. which 
are not reached by the laws. The courtesy which marks the inter- 
course of gentlemen will regulate other more obvious cases: 

1. Xo conversation should be indulged in during the play 
except such as is allowed by the laws of the game. 

2. Xo player should in any manner whatsoever give any inti- 
mation as to the state of his hand or of the game, or of approval 
or disapproval of a play. 

3. X'o player should lead until the preceding trick is turned 
and quitted. 

4. X'o player should, after having led a winning card, draw a 
card from his hand for another lead until his partner has played 
to the current trick. 

5. Xo plaj-er should play a card in any manner so as to call 
particular attention to it, nor should he demand that the cards 
be placed in order to attract the attention of his partner. 

6. X'o plaj-er should purposely incur a penalty because he is 
willing to pay it, nor should he make a second revoke in order to 
conceal one previously made. 

7. X'o player should take advantage of information imparted 
by his partner through a breach of etiquette. 

8. X^'o player should object to referring a disputed question of 
fact to a bystander who professes himself uninterested in the re- 
sult of the game and able to decide the question. 

9. Bystanders should not in any manner call attention to or 
give any intimation concerning the play or the state of the game, 
during the play of a hand. They should not look over the hand 
of a player without his permission; nor should they walk around 
the table to look at the different hands. 

(489) 



THE LAWS OF DUPLICATE WHIST. 



As Amended and Adopted at the Tenth American Whist 
Congress, Niagara Falls. X. Y.. July. 1900. 



DEFINITIONS. 

The words and phrases used in these laws shall be construed 
in accordance with the following definitions unless such construc- 
tion is inconsistent with the context: 

(oj The thirteen cards received by any one player are termed 
a "hand." 

(^J The four hands into which a pack is distributed for play 
are termed a deal:" the same term is also used to designate the 
act of distributing the cards to the players. 

(cj A "'tray" is a device for retaining the hands of a deal and 
indicating the order of playing them. 

(dj The player who is entitled to the trump card is termed the 
"dealer," whether the cards have or have not been dealt by him. 

fe) The first play of a deal is termed "the original play;" the 
second or any subsequent plaj' of such deal, the "overpla}'." 

(fj "Duplicate Whist" is that form of the game of Whist in 
which each deal is played once only by each player and in which 
each deal is so overplayed as to bring the play of teams, pairs or 
individuals into comparison. 

fffj A player "renounces" when he does not follow suit to the 
card led: he "renounces in error" when, although holding one or 
more cards of the suit led, he plays a card of a difterent suit; if 
such renounce in error is not lawfully corrected, it constitutes a 
'"revoke." 

OU A trick is "turned and quitted" when all four players have 
turned and quitted their respective cards. 

LAW^ I. 

SHUFFLING. 

Section i. Before the cards are dealt, they must be shuffled 
in the presence of an adversary or the umpire. 

(490J 



The Laws of Duplicate Whist. 491 

Sec. 2. The pack must not be so shuffled as to expose the face 
of any card; if a card is so exposed, the pack must be reshuffled. 

LAW II. 

CUTTING FOR THE TRUMP. 

Section i. The dealer must present the cards to his right- 
hand adversary- to be cut; such adversary must take from the top 
of the pack at least four cards and place them toward the dealer, 
leaving at least four cards in the remaining packet: the dealer must 
reunite the packets by placing the one not removed in cutting upon 
the other. If, in cutting or in reuniting the separate packets, a 
card is exposed, the pack must be reshuffled and cut again; if there 
is any confusion of the cards or doubt as to the place where the 
pack was separated, there must be a new cut. 

LAW III. 

DEALING. 

Section i. When the pack has been properly cut and reunited 
the cards must be dealt one at a time, face down, from the top of 
the pack, the first to the player at the left of the dealer and each 
successive card to the player at the left of the one to whom the 
last preceding card has been dealt. The last, which is the trump 
card, must be turned and placed face up on the tray, if one is used; 
otherwise, at the right of the dealer. 

Sec. 2. There must be a new deal: — 

(fi) If any card except the last is faced or exposed in any way 
in dealing. 

(I)) If the pack is proved incorrect or imperfect. 

(c) If either more or less than thirteen cards are dealt to any 
player. 

(d) If, after the first trick has been turned and quitted on the 
original play of a deal, one or more cards are found to have been 
left in the tray. 

LAW IV. 

the trump card. 

Section i. The trump card and the number of the deal must 
be recorded, before the play begins, on a slip provided for that pur- 
pose and must not be elsewhere recorded. Such slip must be 
shown to an adversary, then turned face down and placed in the 
tra}^ if one is used. 



492 The Laws of Duplicate Whist. 

Sec. 2. The dealer must leave the trump card face up until it 
is his turn to play to the first trick; he must take the trump card 
into his hand and turn down the trump slip before the second trick 
is turned and quitted. 

Sec. 3. When a deal is taken up for overplay, the dealer must 
show the trump slip to an adversary and thereafter the trump slip 
and trump card shall be treated as in the case of an original deal. 

Sec. 4. After the trump card has been lawfully taken into the 
hand and the trump slip turned face down, the trump card must 
not be named nor the trump slip examined during the play of the 
deal; a player may, however, ask what the trump suit is. 

Sec. 5. If a player unlawfully looks at the trump slip, his 
highest or lowest trump may be called; if a player unlawfully 
names the trump card or unlawfully shows the trump slip to his 
partner, his partner's highest or lowest trump may be called. 

Sec. 6. These penalties can be inflicted by either adversary at 
any time during the play of the deal in which they are incurred 
before the player from whom the call can be made has played to 
the current trick; the call may be repeated at each or any trick 
until the card is played, but cannot be changed. 

Sec. 7. When a deal has been played, the cards of the respec- 
tive players, including the trump card, must be placed in the tray 
face down and the trump slip placed face up on top of the dealer's 
cards. 

Sec. 8. If, on the overplay of a deal, the dealer turns a trump 
card other than the one recorded on the trump slip, and such error 
is discovered and corrected before the play of the deal is com- 
menced, the card turned in error is liable to be called. 

Sec. 9. If such error is not corrected until after the overplay 
has begun and more than two tables are engaged in play, the 
players at that table shall take the average score for the deal; if less 
than .three tables are in play, there must be a new deal. 

Sec. 10. Should a player record on the trump slip a different 
trump from the one turned in dealing and the error be discovered 
at the next table, there must be a new deal. If the deal has been 
played at one or more tables with the wrong trump, the recorded 
trump must be taken as correct and the players at the original 
table take the average score for the deal; if less than three tables 
are in play, there must be a new deal. 

Sec. II. By the unanimous consent of the players in any 
match, a trump suit may be declared and no trump turned. 



The Laws of Duplicate Whist. 493 

LA^V V. 

IRREGULARITIES IN THE HAND. 

Section i. If, on the overplay, a player is found to have either 
more or less than his correct number of cards, or the trump card 
is not in the dealer's hand, or any card except the trump card is 
so faced as to expose any of the printing on its face, and less than 
three tables are engaged, there must be a new deal. If more than 
two tables are in play, the hands must be rectified and then passed 
to the next table; the table at which the error was discovered 
must not overplay the deal but shall take the average score. 

Sec. 2. If, after the first trick has been turned and quitted on 
the overplay of a deal, one or more cards are found to have been 
left in the tray, the players at that table shall take the average 
score for the deal. 

LAW^ VI. 

playing, turning and quitting the cards. 

Section i. Each player, when it is his turn to play, must place 
his card face up before him and towards the center of the table 
and allow it to remain upon the table in this position until all 
have played to the trick, when he must turn it over and place it 
face down and nearer to himself, placing each successive card, as 
he turns it, so that it overlaps the last card played by him and 
with the ends toward the winners of the trick. After he has played 
his card and also after he has turned it, he must quit it by remov- 
ing his hand. 

Sec. 2. The cards must be left in the order in which they 
were played and quitted until the scores for the deal are recorded. 

Sec. 3. During the play of a deal, a player must not pick up or 
turn another player's card. 

Sec. 4. Before a trick is turned and quitted, any player may 
require any of the other players to show the face of the card played 
to that trick. 

Sec. 5. If a player names a card of a trick which has been 
turned and quitted or turns or raises any such card so that any 
portion of its face can be seen by himself or any other player, he is 
liable to the same penalty as if he had led out of turn. 



494 The Laws of Duplicate Wliist. 

LAW VII. 

CARDS LIABLE TO BE CALLED. 

Section i. The following cards are liable to be called: 

((0 Every card so placed upon the table as to expose any of 
the printing on its face, except such cards as these laws specifically 
provide shall not be so liable. 

(h) Every card so held by a player that his partner sees any of 
the printing on its face. 

(cj Every card, except the trump card, named by the player 
holding it. 

Sec. 2. If a player says, ''I can win the rest.'' "The rest are 
ours," "It makes no dift'erence how you play," or words to that 
effect, or if he plays or exposes his remaining cards before his 
partner has played to the current trick, his partner's cards must be 
laid face up on the table and are liable to be called. 

Sec. 3. All cards liable to be called must be placed face up on 
the table and so left until played. A player must lead or play them 
when lawfully called, provided he can do so without revoking; 
the call may be repeated at each or any trick until the card is 
played. A player cannot, however, be prevented from leading or 
playing a card liable to be called; if he can get rid of it in the 
course of play, no penalty remains. 

Sec 4. The holder of a card liable to be called can be required 
to play it only bv the adversary on his right. If such adversary 
plays without calling it. the holder may play to that trick as he 
pleases. If it is the holder's turn to lead, the card must be called 
before the preceding trick has been turned and quitted or before 
the holder has led a different card; otherwise, he may lead as he 
pleases. 

JuAW VIII. 

leading out of turn. 

Section i. If a player leads when it is the turn of an adversary 
to lead and the error is discovered before all have played to such 
lead, a suit may be called from him or from his partner, as the case 
may be. the first time thereafter it is the right of either of them to 
lead. The penalty can be enforced only by the adversary on the 
right of the one from whom a lead can lawfully be called, and the 
right thereto is lost unless such adversary calls the suit he desires 
led before the first trick won by the offender or his partner, subse- 
quent to the offense, is turned and quitted. 



The Laws of Duplicate Whist. 495 

Sec. 2. If a player leads when it is his partner's turn and the 
error is discovered before all have played to such lead, a suit may 
at once be called from the proper leader by his right-hand adver- 
sary. Until the penalty has been exacted, waived or forfeited, the 
proper leader must not lead; should he so lead, the card led by him 
is liable to be called. 

Sec. 3. If a player, when called on to lead a suit, has none 
of it, he may lead as he pleases. 

Sec. 4. If all have not played to a lead out of turn when the 
error is discovered, the card erroneously led and all cards played 
to such lead, are not liable to be called and must be taken into the 
hand. 

LAW IX. 

PLAYING OUT OF TURN. 

Section i. If the third hand plays before the second, the 
fourth hand may also play before the second. 

Sec. 2. If the third hand has not played and the fourth hand 
plays before the second, the latter may be called upon by the third 
hand to play his highest or lowest card of the suit led and, if he has 
none of that suit, to trump or not to trump the trick; the penalty 
cannot be inflicted after the third hand has played to the trick. If 
the player liable to this penalty plays before it has been inflicted, 
waived or lost, the card so played is liable to be called. 

LAW X. 

THE REVOKE. 

Section i. A renounce in error may be corrected by the 
player making it except in the following cases, in which a revoke 
is established and the penalty therefor incurred: 

(tt) When the trick in which it occurs has been turned and 
quitted. 

(h) When the renouncing player or his partner, whether in 
his right turn or otherwise, has led or played to the following 
trick. 

(f-) When the partner of the renouncing playet has called at- 
tention to the renounce. 

Sec. 2. At any time before the trick is turned and quitted, a 
player may ask an adversary if he has any of a suit to which such 
adversary has renounced in that trick and can require the error to 



49^ The Laws of Duplicate Whist. 

be corrected in case such adversary is found to have any of such 

suit. 

Sec. 3. If a player who has renounced in error lawfully cor- 
rects his mistake, the card improperly played by him is liable to be 
called; any player who has played after him may withdraw his card 
and substitute another; a card so withdrawn is not liable to be 
called. 

Sec. 4. The penalty for a revoke is the transfer of two tricks 
from the revokmg side to their adversaries. If more than one re- 
voke during the play of a deal is made by one side, the penalty for 
each additional revoke is the transfer of one trick only. It can be 
enforced for as many revokes as occur during the play of a ideal 
but is limited to the number of tricks won by the offending side; 
no pair, however, can score more than thirteen on the play of any 
one deal. The revoking player and his partner cannot score more 
than the average on the deal in which the revoke occurs. 

Sec. 5. A revoke may be claimed at any time before the score 
of the deal has been agreed upon and recorded but not thereafter. 

Sec. 6. At the end of the olay of a deal, the claimants of a re- 
voke can examine all the cards; if any hand has been shuffled, the 
claim may be urged and proved if possible; but no proof is neces- 
sary and the revoke is established if, after it has been claimed, the 
accused player or his partner disturbs the order of the cards before 
they have been examined to the satisfaction of the adversaries. 

liAW XI. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Section i. If any one calls attention in any manner to the 
trick before his partner has played thereto, the adversary last to 
play to the trick may require the offender's partner to play his 
highest or lowest of the suit led and, if he has none of that suit, to 
trump or not to trump the trick. 

Sec. 2. A player has the right to remind his partner that it is 
his privilege to enforce a penalty and also to inform him of the 
penalty he can enforce. 

Sec. 3. A player has the right to prevent his partner from 
committing any irregularity except revoking. 

Sec. 4. If either of the adversaries, whether with or without 
his partner's consent, demands or waives a penalty to which they 



The Laws of Duplicate Whist. 497 

are entitled, such decision is final; if the wrong adversary demands 
a penalty or a wrong penalty is demanded, none can be enforced. 

Sec. 5. If a player is lawfully called upon to play the highest 
or lowest of a suit, to trump or not to trump a trick, to lead a suit 
or to win a trick and unnecessarily fails to comply, he is liable to 
the same penalty as if he had revoked. 

Sec. 6. If any one leads or plays a card and then, before his 
partner has plaj-ed to the trick, leads one or more other cards or 
plays two or more cards together, all of which are better than any 
his adversaries hold of the suit, his partner may be called upon by 
either adversary to win the first or any subsequent trick to which 
any of said cards are played and the remaining cards so played are 
liable to be called. 



Index. 



INDEX. 



The Index \A'ill afford ready reference to any portion of the text. 
A similar detailed treatment of the deals would have resulted in much 
undesirable repetition and a cumbersome index. As the deals are generally 
in close proximity to the relative text, they will be easily available to 
the reader who desires additional illustration to that furnished by the 
examples. 



Ace. Analysis of lead from five to, p. 93. 

Leads. Old Leads, p. 93; American Leads, p. 283; Combina- 
tion Game, p. 339. 
Adversary's Lead. Returning an, p. 119. 
Advice to Beginners, p. 5. 
After Leads. (Section) pp. 113-24. 
American Leads. (Section) pp. 279-302. 

Deals illustrating the, p. 286, et seq. 
Hamilton modifications of the, p. 284. 
In trumps, p. 284. 
Inferences from, p. 307. 
Origin of the, paragraph 2, p. 20. 
Pro and con, p. 279. 
Rationale of the, p. 281. 
Table of plain suits, p. 283. 
Unblocking to the, p. 284. 
Antepenultimate Lead. The, para. 6, p. 19. 
Bath Coup, p. 168. 
Beginners. Advice to, p. 5. 
Call for Trumps. The. Tide Trump Signal. 
Cards. Classification of, para. 4, p. 9. 
Changing Suits. The principles affecting, p. 46. 

To be avoided in general, p. 113. 
Combination Game. The (Section), pp. 321-69. 

Deals illustrating the tactics of the, p. 351, 

et seq. 
Examples of original leads in the, p. 330. 
Following with short suits in the, p. 340. 
, Functions of suits in the. p. 323. 

Long suits considered from the standard of 
the, p. 327. 

(501) 



502 Index. 



Combination Game. Original lead compared with American 

Leads opening, para. 3, p. 337. 
Original lead — Choice between two four- 

• card suits, p. 69. 
Original lead — Choice between weak suits, 

para. 2, p. 72. 
Original lead from "split hand," p. 86. 
Original lead from tenace suits, para. 7, 

p. 66. 
Original trump opening in the, para. 3, p. 330. 
Plain suit leads in the, p. 339. 
Review of the, p. 321. 
Second-hand play in the, p. 341. 
Short suit openings in the, para. 3, p. 338. 
Standards of strength in the, p. 329. 
The lead from tenace suits, para. 5, p. 335. 
The opening lead in the, p. 328. 
Third-hand play in the, p. 342. 
Third-hand's continuation, p. 350. 
Trump leads in the, p. 340. 
Unblocking in the, p. 346. 
Co-operation. Examples of the application of the principle of, p.28. 

The principle of, p. 27. 
Coups. Tide the Critical Endings. 
Cross-ruff, para,. 3, p. 54. 
Critical Endings. (Section) pp. 393-458. 

Deals.* Convention. (Reproduced as Deal No. 30.) An example 
of the latter-day signaling game, p. 21. 
Inference. Showing methods of drawing inferences from 

the play, p. 130. 
Mathews. Illustrative of the play of one hundred years 

ago, p. 15. 
No. 1. Establishment, p. 33. 
No. 2. Forcing an adversary. Declining to draw the 

losing trump, p. 52. 
No. 3. Example of cross-ruff, p. 55. 
No. 3 (a). Declining to institute a cross-ruff, p. 57. 
No. 4. The singleton lead, p. 76. Overplay, p. 78. 
No. 5. Lead from split hand. Refusing to finesse, p. 88. 
No. 6. Unblocking, p. 100. 
No. 7. Unblocking (Old Leads), p. 102. 
No. 8. Unblocking (Old Leads), p. 108. 
No. 9. Using an established suit to force an opponent, 
p. 115. 

♦The deals preceding No. 35 are played according to the Old System 
of leads; Nos. 35 to 41, inclusive, according to the system of American 
Leads and the remainder are illustrative of the tactics of the Combina- 
tion Game. 



Index. 503 



Deals, No. 10. Leading to partner's inferred suit. Unblocking, 
p. 121. 

No. 11. Tenace and finesse. Unblocking a possible ten- 
ace in partner's hand, p. 161. 

No. 12. Playing for position, Finesse and tenace, p. 164. 

No. 13. Finesse obligatory. Hold-up. p. 169. 

No. 14. Discard, p. 178. 

No. 15. Declining to unguard an adverse suit, although 
partner has the trump strength, p. 179. 

No. 16. The conventional discard responsible for a loss 
of two tricks, p. 181. Overplay, p. 183. 

No. 17. Not discarding from best guarded suit when op- 
ponents are strong in trumps, p. 185. 

No. 18. Rational discarding, p. 188. 

No. 19. Leading to the discard, p. 191. 

No. 20. The deceptive discard, p. 193. 

No. 21. Refraining from discarding a losing card which 
may be needed to reenter partner, p. 195. 

No. 22. Refusing to blank an ace. An unwise discard of 
a loser, p. 197. 
The discard to show command, p. 200. 
The discard to show control, p. 202. 
The reverse discard to denote strength, p. 205. 
Illustrating a common-sense discard, p. 210. 
Unblocking. Retaining command of trumps, 

p. 218. 
Leading a losing twelfth trump, p. 22.3. 
Rash trump call. Bad short suit lead. False 
card. p. 234. 

No. 30. Five-trump hand refraining from signaling. Re- 
turning a trump lead through the strong hand. 
End play. p. 239. 

No. 31. Trump call. The echo in ruffing, p. 248. 

No. 32. Retaining command of trumps, p. 252. 

No. 33. Illustrating change of tactics from trump ex- 
traction to the ruffing game, p. 257. 

No. 34. Refusing to overtrump, p. 273. 

No. 35. American Leads; second-hand defensive play; 
unblocking, p. 286. 

No. 36. American Leads and the unblocking game; or, 
plain suit echo. A disastrous finesse, p. 288. 

No. 37. Not drawing the losing trump. Refusing to win 
a trick, p. 291. 

No. .38. Counting the hands. Holding up the best trump, 
p. 294. 

No. 39. Leading an adversely established suit. When not 
to finesse third hand with ace and queen only, 
p. 296. 



No. 


23. 


No. 


24. 


No. 


25, 


No. 


26. 


No. 


27. 


No. 


28. 


No. 


29. 



504 



Index. 



Deals. No. 40. Refusing to trump a winning card when holding 
command of trumps and an established suit, 
p. 298. 

No. 41. Refusing to trump a winning card, p. 300. 

No. 42. Combination Game; supporting card lead, p. 351. 

No. 43. Singleton lead, p. 354. 

No. 44. Defense against supporting card lead, p. 357. 

No. 45. Short trump opening, p. 359. 

No. 46. Unblocking, p. 362. 

No. 47. Preserving a reentry with partner, p. 364. 

No. 48. Refusal to lead from the major tenace (from 
actual play), p. 366. Overplay, p. 368. 

Discard. (Section) pp. 175-212. 

Blanking an ace in the, p. 208. 

Deceptive, p. 102. 

Declining to throw losing cards in the, p. 195. 

Discussion of, p. 175. 

From strongest suit, para. 2, p. 184. 

Hoyle and Mathews on the, p. 192. 

Leading to partner's suit revealed by the, para. 2, p. 210. 

Of a high card indicative of trump strength, para. 4, 

p. 2.30. 
Of a "Singleton," p. 208. 
Of second-best, p. 209. 
Of the master card, p. 209. 

Often inadvisable to make informative, p. 209. 
The principle of the, p. 50. 
The "Reverse," p. 204. 
To a doubtful trick, para. 2, p. 229. 
To show command or strength, p. 204. 
Unblocking in the, p. 208. 

When balance of trump strength is doubtful, p. 187. 
When balance of trump strength is with partner, p. 177. 
When preponderance of trump strength is adverse, p. 184. 

DiSCAKDiNG an adverse winning card, para. 3. p. 229. 
Vacillation in, p. 207. 
With view to reentry, para. 6, p. 139. 

Discards at late stages of the deal, para. 2, p. 231. 

DouBLE-DrMMY. The advantages of, p. 393. 

Mde Critical Endings. 
Eleven Rtle, p. 282. 

Establishment. Factors essential to. p. 329. 

The principle of, i). 29. 
Etiquette of Whist, p. 489. 
False Carding in trumps, p. 201. 



Index. 505 



Finesse. (Section) pp. 157-71. 

By second-hand, p. 158. 
By the leader, p. 157. 
By third-hand, para.. 7, p. 159. 
By trial, p. 158. 

Conditions influencing the, para. 5, p. 49. 
Obligatory, p. 166. 
Principles applying to the, p. 48. 
The major tenace, para. 3, p. 48. 
Finessing against a weak holding, para. 7, p. 160. 

An honor upon an honor, para. 4, p. 159. 
P"'okce. Refraining from taking a, p. 269. 
Taking a, p. 269. 
The principle of the, p. 52. 
With five trumps taking a, para. 3, p. 271. 
With four trumps refusing a, para. 4, p. 271. 
Forcing a winning twelfth trump, p. 217. 
An adversary, p. 268. 
Partner, p. 263. 
Four-trump Echo, p. 242. 
Fourchette, para. 5, p. 147. Tide Finesse and Tenace. 

Imperfect, para. 5, p. 147. 
Fourchettes. Second-haiid play of, para. 5, p. 147. 
Hamilton Modifications of the American Leads, p. 284, and In- 
ferences from American Leads. 
High Card. Definition of, p. 9. 
Hold-up. The, p. 167. 

Holding Up to secure third round of trumps, para. 6, p. 168. 
Imperfect Fourchette, para. 5, p. 147. 
Inferences (Section), pp. 127-33. 

From American Leads (Section), pp. 307-18. 
General remarks on, p. 127. 
Tide Inference Deal, p. 130. 
Introduction (Section), pp. 3-9. 

Jack Leads. Old Leads, p. 97; American Leads, p. 283; Combi- 
nation Game, p. 339. 
Led in support, p. 343. 
King Leads. Old Leads, p. 95; American Leads, p. 283; Combina- 
tion Game, p. 339. 
KiNG-QuEEN. Low lead from four to, pp. 96 and 339. 
Laws of Duplicate Whist, p. 490. 

Whist, p. 483. 
Lead. Tide Plain Suits, Trumps, etc. 

Discussion of the singleton, p. 73. 

Examples of the original, pp. 36, 64, etc. 

Of a singleton, p. 73. 

Of ace from five. Analysis of, p. 93. 

Of ace in response to call, para. 4, p. 124. 



5o6 



Index. 



Lead. Of antepenultimate, para. 6, p. 19. 

Of low card, p. 98. 

Of short suit, p. 71. 

Of weak suit, p. 71. 

Second-hand avoiding the, para. 4, p. 149. 

The card to (Section), pp. 93-109. 

The opening in the Combination Game, p. 328. 

The original (in plain suits), p. (33; (in trumps), p. 80; (Com- 
bination Game), p. 329. Tide the Deals. 

From tenace suits in the Combination Game, para. 5, p. 335. 
Leader. Finesse by the, p. 157. 

Leading a short suit in face of an adverse trump attack, para. 3, 
p. 261. 
From four trumps, p. 217. 
Through strength. The principle of, p. 47. 
To partner's intact strength, p. 120. 

To partners suit revealed by the discard, para. 2, p. 210. 
Leads. Ace. Tide Ace Leads, 

American. Tide American Leads. 
Combination Game, p. 339. 

In the Combination Game. Examples of original, p. 330. 
Jack. Tide Jack Leads. 
King. Tide King Leads. 
Nine. Tide Nine Leads. 
Queen. Tide Queen Leads. 
Of short suits, p. 324. 
Old system of, p. 93. 
Other than original. Tide After Leads. 
Ten. Tide Ten Leads. 
The principles governing, p. 40. 
Long Suit. Definition of, p. 8. 

Play. The theoiT of, p. 30. 
Long Suits in the Combination System, p. 327. 

Low Card. Definition of, p. 9. 

Lead, p. 98. 
Low Lead from king-queen, four in suit, pp. 96 and 339. 
Major Tenace. Analysis of the conditions affecting the, p. 67. 

Finesse, para. 3, p, 48. 

In trumps. Third-hand play of the, p. 255. 

Master Card. Discard of the, p. 209. 
Maxims. Payne's, p. 14. 

Nine Leads, Old Leads, p. 97; American Leads, p. 283; Combina- 
tion Game, p. 340. 
Led in support, p. 344. 
Old Leads. Table of, p. 99. Tide Leads, Trumps, etc. 



Index. 507 



Original Lead. The (Section), pp. 63-90. Tide Plain Suit, Trumps, 
Leads, etc. 
Choice between two long suits for the, para. 3, 
p. 06. 

OVERTRUMPIXG, p. 272. 

Partner's intact strength. Leading to. p. 120. 

Lead of trumps. Returning, para. 9, p. 255. 

of a weak suit, p. 118. 

Returning, p. 118. 
Suit. Refraining from returning, p. 114. 
Suit revealed by the discard. Leading to, para. 2, p. 210. 

Payne's Maxims, p. 14. 

Penultimate Lead. The, para. 6, p. 19. 

Plain Suit. Original lead from a five-card, para. 4, p. 65. 

Original lead from a sequence in a weak. para. 2, p. 71. 

Original lead from a seven-card. para. 2, p. 65. 

Original lead from a six-card, para. 2, p. 65. 

Original lead from a weak, p. 70. 

Original lead from a two-card, para. 3, p. 73. 

Original lead from an average, p. 68. 

Original lead of a low card from a weak. para. 4. 

p. 71. 
Original lead of a singleton, p. 73. 
Strength with weak trumps, para. 7, p. 227. 

Plain Suits. Table of American Leads in, p. 283. 
Table of Combiuation Leads in, p. 339. 
Table of Old Leads in, p. 93. 
Play. Sound, pp. 3-4. 
Pole-Cavendish School. The, p. 18. 
Position. Playing for. Tide Critical Endings, 
PRiNCirLES, General. (Section) pp. 27-59. 

Probabilities. A practical example of the application of the tables 
of, p. 388. 
An essay on the doctrine of. (Section) pp. 373-8. 
Tables of, (Section) pp. 381-90. 

No. 1. Showing various distributions of 
a suit and the frequency of their 
occurrence, p. 383. 
No. 2. Showing chances of a suit going 

round, p. 385. 
No. 3. Showing probable holding in a 
suit of any specified player, p. 386. 
No. 4. Showing distribution of a suit as 
to partner and opponents, p. 388. 
The application of the theory of, para. 2, p. 373. 



5o8 



Index. 



Queen Leads. Old Leads, p. 96; American Leads, p. 283; Combi- 
nation Game, p. 339. 
Led in support, p. 343. 

Reentries. Trumps as, para. 3, p. 137. 
Reentry Cards. (Section) pp. 137-9. 

Discarding with view to, para. 6, p. 139. 
Finessing to retain, para. 5, p. 138. 
Lead from weak plain suit containing, para. 5, p. 71. 
Ruffing Game. The, p. 2G2. 

The principle of, p. 52. 
"With four trumps, p. 272. 
Second-best. Discard of the, p. 209. 

Second-hand. Adjusting play to opposing system, para. 2, p. 150. 
Avoiding the lead, para. 4, p. 149. 
Covering an honor, p. 145. 

In trumps, para. 2, p. 251. 
The principle of, p. 42. 
With intermediate card, para 4, p. 151. 
Finesse, p. 158. 

In plain suits. Play of, (Section) pp. 143-53. 
Play. Considerations influencing, p. 143. 
General rules for, para. 2, p. 144. 
In the Combination Game, p. 341. 
In trumps, p. 251. 
Of fourchettes, para. 5, p. 147. 
Of singly-guarded honors, para. 2, p. 148. 
The principles of, p. 43. 
With honors in sequence, para. 5, p. 146. 
Playing high. The principles of, p. 44. 

On low card, para. 4, p. 146. 
To win, p. 144. 
Refraining from interrupting opposing trump extrac- 
tion, para. 4, p. 251. 
Saving a reentry to partner, para. 3, p. 138. 
Signaling, para. 2, p. 151. 

Sequence. In a weak plain suit. Lead from a, para. 2, p. 71. 
Short Suit. Definition of, p. 9. 

In face of an adverse trump attack leading a, para. 3, 

p. 261. 
Openings in the Combination Game, para. 3, p. 338. 
Short Suits. Classified, para. 3, p. 326. 

Combination system of following with, p. 340. 
Leads of, p. 324. 
Signal for lead through turned honor, p. 241. 

Trumps. Tide Trump Signal. 
Signaling Game. The growth of the, para. 3, p. 20. 



Index. 509 



SiXGLETOX. Discard of a» p. 208. 

Lead. Discussion of the, p. 73. 
Original lead of a, p. 73. 

Singly Guarded Honors. Second-hand play of, para, 2, p. 148. 

Split Hands, p. 86. 

Straight Whist, Deal 23. p. 200: Mathews Deal, p. 15. 

Strengthening Cards. Tide Supporting Card, 

Play by second-hand. para. 4. p. 44: para. 3. p. 45: 
para. 6, p. 149. 
By the leader, para. 2. p. 71: para. 1, p. 119: 
para. 8. p. 159: para. 4, p. 324; para. 5, 
p. 331, etc. 
By third-hand. para. 3, p. 45. 
The principle of, p. 45. 
Strong Suit. Definition of, p. 8. 
Suit. Methods of clearing a, p. 30. 
Suits. Classification of, p. 8. 

The principles affecting changing, p. 46. 
Supporting Card lead, para. 4. p. 324. 

From a split hand, p. 87. 
Third-hand finessing a, para. 8, p. 159. 
Play on, p. 343. 
Systems of Leads. The philosophy of. p. 41. 

Tide Old Leads. American Leads. Combination 
Game and "Whist Terms. 
Tactics of one hundred years ago. Mathews' Deal, p. 15. 
Ten Leads. Old Leads, p. 97: American Leads, p. 283; Combination 
Games, p. 339. 
Led in support, p. 344. 
Tenace. Tide Major tenace; Trumps, Major tenace in; Fourchette, 
etc. 
Suits in the Combination Game. The lead from, para. 5, 
p. 335. 
Three Echo, p. 243. 
Third-hand finesse, para. 7, p. 159. 

Finessing supporting card, para. 8, p. 159. 
Play in the Combination Game, p. 342. 
In trumps, p. 254. 

Of the Major tenace in trumps, p. 255. 
On supporting card, p. 343. 
The principle of, p. 45. Tide Finesse, 
Trl'MP Attack. Leading a short suit in face of an adverse, para. 3, 
p. 261. 
Drawing the last. p. 217. 
Echo, p. 242. 

With honors, p. 24G. 



510 Index. 



TRUMr Extraction, p. 215. 

End play in. p. 221. 

Second-hand refrainins: from interrupting op- 
pofiing:. para. 4, p. 251. 

Forcing a winning twelfth, p. 217. 

Lead. A standard condition for the. p. 215. 

From four with established suit and reentry, para. 2, 

p. S4. 
From "split hands," p. S6. 
Tentative, p. 225. 
The non-original, p. 123. 
Leading a losing, para. 4. p. 222. 
Leads to beat the "turn-up." p. OS. 
Opening in the Combination Game, para. 3, p. 330. 
Play. (Section) pp. 215-75. 

After partial extraction, p. 221. 
The principles of. p. 36. 
Signal, p. 231. 

As an after consideration, para. 4, p. 260. 
By second-hand. para. 2, p. 151. 
Lead of ace in response to. p. 124. 
Masking the, para. 2. p. 233. 
On an adversary's lead, para. 2. p. 242. 
Origin of the, para. 4, p. 19. 
Refraining from the. Deal 30, p. 239. 
Strength. Indications of. para. 2, p. 229. 

TKI":^IPI^*G in doubtful situations, p. 269. 

OvEK. p. 272. 
Trumps. American Leads in. p. 2S4. 
As reentries, j^ara. 3. p. 137. 
Combination Leads in, p. 340. 
Continuing an adversary's lead of, p. 253. 
Four, the average holding of, p. 217. 

Remaining after ruffing, p. 220. 
Holding up to secure third round of, para. 6. p. 16S. 
Importance of the third round of. p. 21S. 
Leading for a discard after the adversaries are exhausted, 
para. 3. p. 226. 
From four. p. 217. 
From weakness, para. 4. p. 226. 
Original lead from average strength in. p. 84. 

From established suit and five, p. 82. 
From established suit with reentry and four, 

para. 2. p. 84. 
From extraordinary strength in, p. 80. 
From five. p. 80. 
From four, p. 84. 



Index. 511 



Trumps. Original lead from six, p. 80. 

From two strong suits and four, para. 4, 

p. 85. 
From throe or four honors in suit of four, 

para. 1, p. 85. 
From three weak suits and five, p. 83. 
From unestablished suit and five, para. 2, 

p. 82. 
From weak, p. 90. 
Of, p. 64. 
Playing a forward game with four, para. 3, p. 227. 
Refraining from opening five, para. 3, p. 228. 
Refusing a force with four, para. 4, p. 271. 
Retaining command of, p. 218. 
Returning partner's lead of, para. 9, p. 255. 
Ruffing with four, p. 272. 
Second-hand covering in, para. 2, p. 2.51. 

Play in, p. 251. 
Showing suit before leading, para. 4, p. 226. 
Side strength with weak, para. 7, p. 227. 
Table of Old Leads in, p. 99. 
Taking a doubtful third round of, para. 2, p. 226. 

A force with five, para. 3, p. 271. 
Tentative opening of, para. 2, p. 85. 
The functions of, p. 36. 
Third-hand play in, p. 2.54. 

Of the Major tenace in, p. 255. 
When to lead after the opening, p. 215. 
Turned Honor. Tide Trump leads to beat the "turn-up." 
Fnblocking in the Combination Game, p. 346. 
In the discard, p. 208. 
To the American Leads, p. 284. 
To Old Leads, p. 100. 
To the fall, para. 1, p. 104. 
Underplay, p. 157. 
Weak Suit. Definition of, p. 9. 

Original lead from a, p. 70. 

Of a low card from, para. 4, p. 71. 
Whist. Historical sketch of, p. 13. 

Study. Advisable methods of, p. 5. 
Terms. (Section) pp. 461-80. 
The game of, (Section) pp. 13-23. 



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